We've all seen the headlines in the news of how somebody lost their life in an act of cold-blooded murder,

and it grabs your attention, but have you ever stopped to think about the life of the person at the center of the news story?

These victims were way more than a salacious headline.

I'm Eric Carter-Londine, and my podcast, The Murder in My Family,

dives into some of those stories to help listeners get to know the person who was lost and how their death affected those closest to them.

Listen to the murder of my family everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Welcome back to the peripheral. I hope you're all doing great. You know, here on the peripheral, we talk a lot about people drinking and alcoholism.

But something we've never talked about is what happens once you stop drinking.

What is it like to live a sober lifestyle?

We all think, ah, you quit drinking.

It's all fun in games now.

Life is perfect.

But do you know how the rest of the world treats you if you've chosen not to consume alcohol?

You might not realize how intertwined drinking is in our culture and society.

Anything and everything we do, there's always alcohol available.

In any event or social situation, alcohol can be provided. And even when there's a global

pandemic, liquor stores are considered vital or essential. Some of you might not know, but I had

stopped drinking several years ago. And at every event, I'm at, every outing I go to, I get peer pressured, shamed, even ridiculed, for not drinking.

Today I speak with Rebecca, who's chosen not to drink for many years now.

I decided to have a conversation with her and ask her about her experiences once she decided to give up alcohol.

And I think we have a lot of similar thoughts and have experienced a lot of similar situations.

So I hope you find this conversation interesting.

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