I have been 21 for over 3 months now. Just long enough to start feeling comfortable walking into places without being paranoid that someone's going to kick me out for "looking like a teeny bopper", and not *quite* long enough for me to register that I'm supposed to be an adult.
Okay, I might be way off of the mark here, but tonight was my buddy's 21st birthday; a celebration of a coming-into-true-manhood and a just present of attempting to drown him in booze... and it occurred to me that the reason why I still felt awkward ordering a Martini is because I ... I, well...
... damnit, I don't want to.
Before 21, people called me a wuss - or similar sounding synonyms - for not drinking illegally. What, I didn't bong those cans of yellow water you call beer over at the frat house during Little 5 weekend? Blasphemy! Egad - I didn't do shots to celebrate everything from my 19th birthday to surviving my 19th day of college? Sacrilege! Bloody Hell - I've plumb forgotten to ask random upperclassmen to buy me bottles of strange liquid that'll make me choke and splutter and lose my grip on things!
... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Now, post the epic birthday, I still have the tolerance of most grandmothers who are not Irish, German, Polish, or Russian (despite my own Polish/German heritage), and here is why:
I DON'T CARE.
Sorry, folks. Do I enjoy a good beer now and then? God knows that's the truth. I won't turn down the offer for a Guinness, and if given the opportunity, will definitely order myself something hoppy. That being said... tonight, I called my friend, the birthday boy, before the festivities. Funds were running a little low, and alcohol is expensive... the two combined don't really mix well. Would he mind, I asked, if I came but didn't drink? I wanted to be there but I didn't want to go into the red, either.
My friend's an easy going guy who knows me pretty damn well - and he didn't mind a bit. Thus, my slightly more relieved mood as I went over to my boyfriend's place to make dinner. Small talk led to figuring out plans for meeting up with the birthday boy and his traveling fiesta, and I brought up the small, seemingly insignificant fact that I would, "surprise", not be drinking to save a little bit of money.
... This, apparently, was a negative surprise. J. looked confused.
"But... but, it's Josh's birthday."
"Right, but if I need funds for the rest of this week, I don't want to spend them on beer."
"Well, that's fine, but this is one of those times where you kind of need to drink."
..... mind you, I didn't record the conversation. I don't have the exact quotations, but the gist of the whole thing was that there are certain occasions where alcohol is not only necessary, but necessary.
... that makes sense.
In other words - situations where its unavoidable. One must drink, or fail at fulfilling one's part / destiny.
... okay... yes... weddings. Toasts. Supremely awful moments, but that's advocating using alcohol to solve one's problems, and that's not what I actually believe.
I understand that, on the occasion of someone's 21st birthday - that momentous occasion of making it to legal drinking age - one typically celebrates by knocking back a few pints and a dozen or so shots with one's friends. At the same time... Josh knows me. He understands that, given my light-weight stature, my typical sparse drinking habits, and my general lack of income (Hi, College), beer is less important than me actually being there to celebrate with him. He would have made fun of me for just chugging water all night, but he would have thought it amusing, not insulting.
... thus, when J offered to buy me a drink that night in order to spare my wallet, I was pleasantly surprised... but that wasn't the point. Yes, I was saving a few dollars, but I have a freakin' fantastic time hanging out with friends, with or without the addition of booze, and that was ultimately what I was going for. It's not in my nature to go out drinking for drinking's sake, and it's not in my nature to understand why I *have* to do that.
[shrug]
... and that might explain why a six-pack lasts over a month in my fridge.
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1 comment:
Good for you. It's unfortunate that drinking has turned into a necessity, but the people that think that will realize otherwise when they get out of college.
In any case, be safe and have fun! Hopefully your junior year is treating you well!
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