One Martini & I’m Rebelling Against My Own Arbitrary Rule

/ Ally Bean

Busy week, fast story…

You know how you say you’ll never do something for one reason or another, then one day you do that which you said you’d never do and nothing bad happens to you.

And you begin to wonder why you had the self-imposed rule to begin with and you become somewhat distraught mildly perturbed because you cannot remember why it seemed important to you to not do that which you just did.

That’s what I’m talking about here. All of that.

So what did I do that I said I’d never do?

Ah yes, good question. Thank you for asking.

You see the fastest way to explain what I did is to refer you to the photo at the top of this post. Saturday night I took that photo of a Pear Martini, my new favorite cocktail, while we were sitting at a table in an upscale restaurant.  The drink tasted & looked so good that I pushed aside all hesitation and pulled out my cell phone to take a picture of it.

And that is something I said I’d never do.

Early on when I got a smart phone I declared, oh yes I did, that I would never be one of those people who takes pictures of food and drink while in a public place.  Yet, as the above photo proves, I am now one of the collective.

Like a Borg, but only for Instagram. Resistance is futile.

Which brings me to an epiphany about who I am now.

While you may think that I’m going to wax on about my wonderful Pear Martini, I’m going to tell you that whilst sipping it and musing upon my arbitrary rule to never snap a food or drink picture in public, it dawned on me that I was caught up in some sort of generational way of thinking that no longer served me.

Who cares if I take a fast photo of a drink? Absolutely no one, myself included.

I caused no harm, I had some fun, and I realized that, with a hat tip to Bob Dylan: “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”

107 thoughts on “One Martini & I’m Rebelling Against My Own Arbitrary Rule”

  3. Love it, Ally! Some food and drink deserves to be digitally immortalized, for future reference and inspiration. And often the stuff of those dreams is found in public eating establishments. My blogger friend Joanne (My Life Lived Full) made me a killer double martini on the weekend and I really should have snapped a pic of it. Now – what a shame – she’ll have to make me another at some point…hehehe!

    Deb

    Liked by 1 person

    • Jill, I’ve had a chocolate martini and I wasn’t a fan, either. Too rich for my taste. But this particular pear martini was chill and tart and just right. I had to photograph it!

      Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, you know… this martini tasted a lot like a margarita sans salt. It had pear vodka and nectar in it, but also a healthy amount of lime juice + simple syrup. It was delicious and refreshing after a long busy Saturday. Of course, one was plenty for me. I’m not sure I could’ve taken a clear photo of a second one. 😳

      Liked by 2 people

    • Deborah, your explanation perfectly summarizes what I figured out. I cannot, cannot, cannot tell you why I thought photographing food and drink was wrong. The things we think, the things we do… 🤷‍♀️

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  8. You’d be surprised at the photos of drinks I’ve taken with my smart phone. Never of an alcoholic drink mind you, though had I had one of those before me I surely would have. Salt on a martini glass rim? I thought that was for tequila Sheila? I mean Ally Bean? In case you’re wondering which I’m sure you’re not, a friend and I were noting the food we ate during the day and night so’s to be more conscious of what we ate in a futile attempt to lose weigh or gain lightness as I prefer to call it. I would blend a shake with eg cucumber pear full cream yoghurt berries apple mint celery banana the works and virtuously send her photos of my health drink –

    Liked by 1 person

    • Susan, no salt on my martini glass rim, but maybe there is a martini that does that. I’m not exactly a martini expert, just an enthusiast! I like the logic behind your idea of photographing your food as a way of gaining lightness— and what a great turn of phrase that is. Your health drink sounds intense, but makes for a great photo I’m guessing.

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  9. I don’t know if I have a ban on that or I’m just lazy or maybe I consume my drink too fast to photograph it. I’m really bad at mindful photography. When friends get together I’m so into the food and drink, the camera/cell phone never comes out of the purse. I need meetings.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Kate, I’m lazy about taking photos. I know that what I’m seeing would make for a good picture, but I can’t be bothered to pull out my phone and snap a pic. Like you, I’m more into being with people in the moment than documenting it for all to see. But it’s new day here, and I might photograph more when I’m out and about. Never people, only stuff.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Janis, I agree! Both that no one is paying much attention to us and that we are old enough to do whatever the heck we want to do. The pear martini was a revelation to me. It was tart enough to not be cloyingly sweet like a lemon drop martini, but light enough to not make me feel tipsy like a traditional gin martini. I liked it.

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  11. Did you go to Catholic school? Curious because I know many who think like this and determined it was because they were brainwashed my nuns.

    There are no rules. Well there’s one: Do whatever the hell you want. 🙂

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  13. First off – I’m a margarita gal and that ole peartini looks like my fav cocktail unsalted and in a funny glass! Just sayin’…
    😉
    Second – your revelation of a definition of what brings the Dylan quote to life is uber timely for me – thanks a million. (not related to photos of foodordrink mind you)
    Third – many of my fav guys up on that stage singing the reality of that song, Thanks for the vid!
    Oh and fourth but not last in order – You said it well: “…it dawned on me that I was caught up in some sort of generational way of thinking that no longer served me.”

    Liked by 1 person

    • laura, that is a perfect description of this pear martini. It was a farm orchard cousin of a margarita.

      I liked that video, too. It has everybody in it and the song floated into my brain as I was thinking back on why I’d taken this photo that violated my own self-imposed rule. Gotta keep up with the times, new rules for a new generation.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. I don’t know what it is about taking photos of food and drink, but it’s something I do a lot. I have a blog post swilling around in my brain showing lots of foods we had while I was spending spring break with my daughter.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Carol, when I stopped to realize the rule I’d placed on myself I realized how ridiculous it is. I like to see photos of food and drink that other people take, I’m not offended by them. So why have I not done this before? I dunno. I might be nuts.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. I am forever taking pictures of food. I love food! But I do have a rule of never making the waitstaff lose time, or complaining it’s not hot enough if I spent five minutes photographing my cheeseburger. Welcome to the Collective.

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  18. I’m happy that you’ve joined the collective. I often take photos of my food and sometimes drink. In fact, some of my favorite pictures from trips are of the meals. They bring back visual and taste memories!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Margaret, I don’t know how often I’ll do this sort of photo shoot, but at least I’ve now given myself permission to do so. I’ve never snapped a pic of food when traveling, but you make an excellent point about how it could bring back memories [hopefully good].

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  19. Isn’t it crazy what we feel guilty about? I admit I’ve succumbed to this inclination to snap pics of food or drink but I tend to circle it around a special occasion! The last time I did it was a recent birthday celebration with 2 sisters. We don’t get together often and we were celebrating our arrival into our sixth decade (although I am halfway through ha ha). I snapped photos of glasses of Oregon Rose, plates of wild Alaska halibut, bowl of San Francisco Wharf cioppino, Irish coffee, apple cobbler and raspberry sorbet. I admit I didn’t have too much guilt over that. I think your relationship with the occasional pear martini revolves around a celebratory mood and that is why you chronicle it. I bet you are happy, relaxed, joyful, feeling free… and the drink captures all of that. It’s not so much the drink; it’s how you are feeling. Well that is how I am looking at it, and that works for me! It’s not so much the food/drink – it’s the feeling of celebration! Thanks for your honesty in confessing something to us that you said you would never do! We are only human and heck, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • S.G., you’re so right: It’s not so much the drink; it’s how you are feeling. That’s exactly what was going on with that pear martini. We’d had a busy productive day and decided on a whim to stop for dinner at this restaurant. No reservations, but we got a table and beat the rush by about 10 minutes which made me happy and relaxed. Good luck and good vibes, you know? And now that I’ve taken my first drink photo who knows where this could lead? Like you said, sometimes you just have to join ’em. 🍸

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  20. Ah, but I consider some of the pictures more like a) works of art and b) scrapbook worthy memories. Can I help it if I want to share with the world? I do think some people get carried away but once in a while can’t hurt. Now you need to learn the boomerang effect for instagram so you can clink that martini glass with ZD’s 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Janet, it’s funny because I’ve never thought anything bad about people who photograph their food and drink, so I can’t explain why I thought that I shouldn’t do it. My brain? It is nutty.

      [What’s boomerang effect? I don’t know about this.]

      Liked by 1 person

      • LOL boomerang effect is a thing you can do on instagram. Some people (not saying who) may use it when they clink glasses as in a toast. Then when it gets posted on instagram, the glasses clink together every time someone looks at them. People (not me) have also used it when their animals do funny things and it makes it look like they are doing it over and over again.

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  21. Prior to getting a smart phone, a co-worker of mine showed me pics of a European trip she and her husband took with her parents. She was aghast and embarrassed at the number of times her mother took pictures of her restaurant meals. We laughed at that, and I sort of made a mental note never to do so. But I’ve nonetheless taken numerous pics of my cocktails and think nothing of it. I easily compartmentalize. 🙂 Great choice of “My Back Pages,” btw. It still hurts to see Tom Petty; what a tragedy. – Marty

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marty, I wonder if something like that happened to me with someone showing me too many food photos and I turned it into a personal rule. I don’t remember anything specific, but that sounds like how my brain works. I like that song, and I like that one phrase in particular. This video I found by chance on YouTube, so I had to add it here.

      Liked by 1 person

    • John, my uncle used to occasionally order a Gibson. Hadn’t thought of that in years. Today a martini has to do with the shape of the glass, more than the ingredients therein. Try a pear martini, it changed my life!

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  24. I was hoping you were doing A to Z! Alas no.

    Of course, I don’t have to limit my visits to April, so I don’t know what my problem is.

    I’m not bothered by the food and drink photos. I rarely take them myself, maybe because I feel self conscious about it or nothing has wowed me, but I would definitely love one of those pear martinis right about now.

    I say good for you for evolving!

    (But I totally have those rules too.)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Isa-Lee, thanks for stopping by to check on me. I liked doing the A to Z challenge that one year, but April is busy for me and doing the challenge is work… so not this year… again.

      I’ve never had any problem with people posting food and/or drink photos, but I’ve never done that myself. I think for me it’s because it seems awkward to take out a cell phone and snap a decent pic.

      However that pear martini just HAD to be photographed– and with it came an epiphany. Gotta evolve and keep up with the times.

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Now, just for the record, this dinosaur has a flip phone, so she won’t be doing any picture-taking anytime soon. In fact, I signed up for Instagram only to discover you can only post via a smartphone. Oh well. I don’t see anything wrong with snapping a picture of your pear martini, even if pears aren’t in season yet. I enjoyed the song – it’s been years since I heard it and remembered the words like it was yesterday.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Hey, a beautiful and tasty drink is as photo-worthy as a bouquet of spring flowers.

    So far I’ve only succumbed to photographing my meal for the canoe trip and Pie Town. But I suspect there will be more!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Let me get us some pear martinis and we’ll celebrate the end of old thinking! I wonder why, too. I love to see the food and drink and especially, especially things I know I enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

  31. If something is pretty or interesting, photo is acceptable (and that slick glass on the wood grain design is pretty) People will break “rules” if the Muse tells them to?
    Besides as some other commenter said – at this point, you can do whatever you want – young at heart and with your IT is good! HAHA

    Liked by 1 person

    • philmouse, I think you nailed it for me. If it’s pretty or interesting I’ll snap a photo of it. And this martini was pretty. I don’t see this happening often, but now that I’ve given myself permission to go for it I’ll do it… occasionally.

      Liked by 1 person

    • L. Marie, thank you. I’ve not tried to do the drink/food photography before for whatever reason. Can’t say that I’ll do it often, but once in a while?

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  39. the video was extra nice to get a little Tom petty in today – so thx
    —
    nice picture – love how you shared the experience and glad you take such photos – because
    A) that is one fantastic photo B) the greens are nice – the liquid- the lime – and there is some green in the reflection on the base C) the grain in the wood

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