To Happy Hour or Not ? That is the 5pm Question.
Let’s be honest, deciding whether to go to the work happy hour is always a toss-up. On one hand, we genuinely like our coworkers. But once the clock hits 5:00, there’s a deep part of my soul that just wants to retreat into the comfort of sweatpants, kettle chips, and absolutely zero small talk. Bliss.
Now, I’m gonna say something bold and maybe a little too honest, but hey, transparency is trendy: the company card absolutely plays a role in the decision. Like yeah, I’ll gladly buy myself a drink or two now and then but if these happy hours start feeling more like a weekly subscription, I’d rather invest in my own personal happy hour, sans spreadsheets and quarterly forecast chatter, you know?
So, rewind to our big office summit yesterday…vendors, partners, clients, the whole corporate cocktail. Over lunch, the table talk turned to the question of the day: “You going to the happy hour later?”
Cue the varied reactions.
My personal favorite response? Delivered with the dry wit of a true office philosopher and happy hour vet:
“Free beer and small talk about Seattle weather? Nah, I have beer at home. Already paid for, so technically free. And no, the weather’s not always like this. Tell me what it’s like where you live. Hard pass.”
The table erupted in laughter because the honesty was just too real to ignore.
Anyway, plot twist.
I went.
And honestly? It wasn’t bad. Not soul-reviving or life-changing, but solid. There was a healthy mix of small talk, some spirited debates about whether stadium location and extra activities outweigh the actual sport (important discourse, I say), and the occasional, “So, what do you actually do again?”
To get to that level of comfort though, it took a dinner the night before to cut through the usual “so here’s what we can do to bring you great fortune?” and all the strategic chit-chat about improving workflows.
Look, weekly happy hours? That’s a big ask. I can only do so many “networking-but-not-really” chats before I start rehearsing my fake cough and prepping the Irish goodbye. But a monthly mixer? I can handle that. It’s like intermittent fasting—but for social energy.
So here’s to knowing your limits, protecting your peace, and occasionally showing up for the free drinks and post-5pm work banter.