The Sober Sloth: In Real Life

A woman peers over from a couple of yards away, drawn in by the array of colourful cans and bottles I've displayed to mimic the Pride flag colours. 🏳️‍🌈 She's cautious though, like a meerkat. She can tell something's off. "Oh alcohol-free?" she blurts out as she reads the sign next to my stall. "That's not for me, that!", followed by a swift exit, soundtracked by a laughter which sounds like a mocktail of confusion, mockery... apprehension, and maybe even shame? Perhaps I imagined that last one. Either way, that's the second such interaction I've had. And that's almost preferable to the other types of interaction so far- people walking past with a sympathetic look as though they've just watched me run for a bus that I wasn't able to catch.🚌🏃 The inaugural Ramsbottom Pride started about an hour ago now, and I've already had the set-back of having been shifted to a pitch outside, down an alleyway essentially, despite having reserved a spot indoors some months ago. It turns out it's very much a case of first come first served on the day, so it was my mistake for turning up on time. 🕒 An alleyway spot is all that's left, out the back, behind the building where the festivities are taking place. I'm not alone back here at least; there are 4 or 5 other stalls, so the mood isn't totally dead. Until the unforecasted Mancunian rain makes a brief appearance. 🌧️ It's fleeting, but just enough to soak my unprotected leaflets and posters. This isn't quite the dream start to my first-ever market stall, which I'm hoping will get me a step closer to creating a physical space for The Sober Sloth. Not for the first time along this journey I'm left wondering what I've got myself in for, as I stare enviously through the window at the stall holders inside, close to the action, with their dry dream-catchers, brownies and bottles of home-made perfume. The weather soon clears up and something resembling a sun appears in the sky. ☀️ A more regular stream of people wander through the alleyway. I try my best to put on that smile that you show to strangers to indicate that you're not a threat. It's tough, still feeling like I may have made some terrible life decisions, completely misjudged my entire business idea, and wasted the last year or so developing it. But the emergence of the sun, and the morale-boosting support of my partner, who's come along to experience it with me keeps me going. Even if I have no success today, at least I've tried. At least my display has added some more colour to the Pride celebrations. People have seen the branding so maybe they'll buy something online at some point instead. Maybe. The little girl who's sat with her mum at the artwork stall across from me is making her own little friendship bands. She makes a sale. 💸 I'm delighted for her. But then. A couple steps outside. They scuttle past the cloud of smokers who've made the alleyway their home and shuffle towards my stall. They don't say much, but one of them starts rifling through one of the crates, examining all of the contents. She knows it's alcohol-free right? She's looked at enough cans by now to surely know it is. She's still here. She must be here on purpose. Does she actually want an alcohol-free drink?! 🤔 Maybe she's just feeling sorry for me. "Can I just get this please?" she asks a moment or two later. She's finished rifling and she hands me one of my mocktails - a Mockarita, an AF version of the margarita, and one of my favourites I might add. I don't say this out loud because I don't want to sound sales-y and scare her away, and also because all I can think right now is OH MY GOD I'M MAKING A FUCKING SALE! The transaction goes through. A notification pops up on my phone confirming it. I feel so delighted, so relieved. 😌 My brain can't decide whether to say "That's great!" or "That''s fab!" so my mouth settles on "That's grab!" as I hand over the customer's drink like a new mother proudly offering up her newborn for a loved one to hold. I have made a fucking sale. I've brought something to this space that somebody values enough to actually pay for. It's just one drink but if nothing else happens today I'll be happy. But something else does happen. Moments later a woman comes bouldering out of the Civic Hall that's hosting the Pride event. She marches up the alleyway -on a mission - announcing to the person she's with that she wants to find The Sober Sloth! 🦥

"Oh, that's me!" I squeal, ushering her over to my stall. "I've been following you on Facebook for a while and I heard that you were here!" She says. Somebody has gone out of their way to seek me out. WHAT. "I love what you're doing and I want to support it." She picks up three AF beers without so much as a glance at the labels and becomes my second-ever IRL customer. 😲 That happens twice more over the course of the day, with someone else referencing my Instagram page. People take time out of their day AND GO OUT OF THEIR WAY specifically to support The Sober Sloth and it feels unreal. Over the afternoon, I also meet a couple in recovery, a family who don't drink, a substance-abuse therapist who takes a fistful of leaflets for her clients, a pregnant lady going to a hen weekend, a few folks who are just enjoying the day without alcohol. Even a fellow Lost Toys of the Alleyway stall holder comes along at the end of the day and buys one of every mocktail that he's been eyeing up since I arrived. It's overwhelming. Everyone is so lovely, so supportive, perhaps even grateful (?) that there's something for them, whatever their journey, their preferences, their situation. I mean not literally everyone but the power of those that were supportive infinitely outweighed the sceptical responses. I think it felt even better too in a place like Ramsbottom where so much of the social scene here is centred around alcohol. It felt daring to challenge that norm. Despite a shakey - and rainy - start, and a less-than-optimal location, The Sober Sloth made a difference. Not only by adding even more colour and inclusivity to this Pride event but helping mindful drinkers to feel seen. That's all I wanted to do, and I did it, and it felt good, so I'm going to keep doing it. 😊 The Sober Sloth started as a concept, but seeing its impact in reality tells me I need to keep going. This journey has only just begun and with the support I've received so far, there's no telling how far it'll go. 🌎 Here's to a bright future, yummy mocktails, meaningful connections and the AF revolution. And thanks to you, dear reader, for joining me on this journey. Your support means the world. The Sober Sloth will be popping up again on 29 October at the Ramsbottom Halloween Makers' Market, so please do come along if you're around and say hi. Let me know you've read this blog and there'll be a free drink in it for you, so we can toast to that bright, hangover-free future together. 🥂