When I say 21 I don’t mean the movie, I mean that one number most people can’t wait for. The one number that means you have the rest of your life to go out and drink legally and one-day or weekend to lose yourself in complete epicness.
With my 21st birthday approaching quickly I find myself looking at local bars and restaurants rather than planning an attack on Las Vegas. I’m more interested in just getting together with some close friends and sharing a couple of drinks. I don’t need to do body shots or chug a beer to enjoy my birthday, I just need the people I care most about there to help me celebrate it.
I think that society forces us to invest so much importance in wild and crazy nights in order to make our youth seem worthwhile years down the road. More and more people on line have pictures of themselves out partying, the tell all plastic red cup clutched in one hand. Movies like the “Hangover” stress that piecing your memory together in the morning is okay as long as it’s funny and memorable. Our memories are based on how “trashed” we get the night before but how can we classify them as memories if we hardly remember them.
It seems to me that most people my age are more interested in not being able to remember their 21st rather than enjoy it. I think it’s an odd obsession most people have with alcohol. Just recently my boyfriend hosted a party that didn’t allow any under aged drinking, not surprisingly a lot of under aged guests decided not to go. I honestly couldn’t believe so many people needed alcohol to have a good time. I was baffled at how people could give up good company and good conversation for alcohol.
As my 21st approaches I realize that I don’t want to have to be carried to my bathroom, only to later pass out in my bed, and then be told what happened the night before.
Too many people invest their lives in to wild out of control parties where the contest is basically who can get alcohol poisoning first. I can’t say that when I was younger I thought it was cool to get drunk and party because I did.
But now when I look back I realize how skewed my way of thinking was. I realize that a lot of what I wanted then isn’t at all what I want now. I firmly believe that for most people when you hit this age in life you find yourself looking back at who you once were and look forward to who you want to be.
The age of 21 doesn’t just bring an awesome party but an epiphany. You realize things you didn’t before and you want things that seemed out of reach. This age brings maturity with it that you didn’t have before, well for most people anyway.
I feel as if I’m lucky to realize this now rather than years down the road. I feel like a lot of people will never experience this epiphany because they’ll put too much importance in to the significance of this age.
I’m not saying you should give up the party that comes with 21 but to not treat everyday after as a party. Drink responsibly and party even more responsibly.
My 21st is coming up soon, too, but to me it's just another year, another birthday. I'm not a big drinker AT ALL, and I don't ever plan to be. It's not that I hate alcohol, I just don't understand the concept of getting so wasted that you don't remember what happened in the morning or end up waking up on the bathroom floor. That does not seem appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteI like your take on the 21st, though. Have a few drinks with friends; do something that will build memories that will last you a lifetime. Personally, I'd just rather do something exciting than drink all night just because "I can."
Our generation, being centered around social media, focuses on an "image" it wants others to see, as if a picture with someone holding a beer is cool. On a 21st B-Day I can just imagine how people display themselves on Facebook. Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI agree that getting so drunk you can't remember does not make any sense. What is the point of going out with a group of friends to celebrate an occasion and then not remember it at all?
ReplyDeleteI had such high expectations about what I wanted for my 21st birthday that I ended up being disappointed that it didn't end up having some epic outcome and some out of the ordinary experience.
Overall, it is just another night and a chance to experience something different you may not have gotten to before. Get a good group of friends together and pick a fun place to go that you have not been able to get into. Enjoy the company of your friends and, of course, a night where you will not have to pay for a single drink!
Getting drunk into oblivion wasn't my idea of a good 21st either.I have to say my 21st was pretty tame. I went to Roscoe's and had a couple of beers but still had a great time. Alcohol should never be the key to having fun.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I turned 21. It wasn't that excited for me because I started drinking when I was 15 going to all types of parties and things in high school. But, when I did turn 21, I, like most, spent the weekend in Vegas and have gone a couple times a year ever since then. Being 21 is great, but it also comes with a lot of responsibilities. So many people drink and they are OK to drive when really they are completely intoxicated and end up hurting other people as well as themselves. Be sure to always have a designated driver and if no one wants to stay sober for the night, plan on taking a taxi back home. Be safe!
ReplyDeleteI was this same way. When I turned 21 I just had a nice dinner with my family and went to bed fairly early to wake up for a new job orientation the next day. I did not want to focus on drinking because it just did not seem like a good way to spend my day. Waking up sick and embarrassed does not seem fun to me so I don't really understand the obsession with alcohol either. Good for you for pointing this out. I think people generalize too much about a lot of things in our society. I also agree with the comment above me. Its a shame with all the programs and information out today that people still decide to drive after drinking too much.
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