For starters, I must personally announce that this piece is entirely opinionated. I’m not judging those who drink nor the people I know who do. Everything that I wrote in this piece is entirely opinionated and not entirely from my facts. This is from my observation.
As a college student, some weeks can be very stressful and really take a toll on you. There will be a lot of things that you simply would like to forget about and move on. To recover from a bad week, partying is key-- you get to see friends who you haven’t seen in a while, meet new people, make new friends, and simply have a good time.
I was never really much of a drinker. Sure, I’ve tried drinks here and there freshman year, but they’ve never appealed to me. I’ve learned that, since I’m naturally energetic, alcohol never had an affect on me. It made me more open and honest. Sometimes, my friendships were ruined because of it.
So, now almost a senior, I’ve grown to realize that you don’t have to do what everyone’s doing. Everyone’s different. Your true friends will always respect you for who you are. In the end, they could care less that you’re going to parties sober because all that’s on their minds that night is how much alcohol they will want to consume.
When you don’t drink, the party scenes are really amusing. From my own perspective, you get to watch and observe all your friends and acquaintances getting super hyperactive and doing stupid things. Some of them completely change their persona-- there are the sad drunks, aggressive drunks, and the flat-out funny drunks.
The best part is that you, as the sober one, get to play along in the act. You can join along in the fun! Now’s the time to do what you’ve always wanted to do; what your soul has been craving-- to let loose, interact with new people, and be free. You don’t need alcohol to do such because most who get drunk do all those things anyway. No one would even know that you’re sober!
You learn new things, too. You learn how many people-- whether friends, acquaintances or complete strangers-- trust you for the night. That means, holding onto their belonged items; driving them around; or just by being there for them to talk to. As the sober one, people can rely on you thick and thin.
No one who decides to drink will want to lose their belonged items. That person will always go to you to give you their things. Holding onto items may be a pain for the night, but earning trust and respect from others is well worth it.
Ah, there’s nothing like being the designated driver. I’ve had cases where drunk friends hand me the keys to their cars so I could drive everyone to go party-hopping. Everyone in the back seat is either lying on top of each other or vomiting out the window. They couldn’t thank me enough! Just pile in the car and let’s go!
Flirting comes much easier. Well, at least I think so. Usually, when everyone’s drunk and acting hyperactive, the activity around you sends signals to the brain informing it that acting like the majority is acceptable if you choose to do so. So if you see someone attractive, flirt!
In my opinion, most people are better when they’re drunk. They become more open, friendly, and funny. As the night trails on, you meet and friend so many people. Years down the road, you guys may even still remain friends and soberly cheer to all of the good times you’ve had. Cheers to friendship and good times!
For physical benefits, not drinking means your entire body will thank you. You’ll have a higher chance of not obtaining liver disease, cancer, or maybe, in extreme cases, alcoholism. Your brain and liver will thank you. Better yet, you will also be able to retain information that you have previously learned. None-the-less, it’s always good to go with your own flow.
Going with the flow of the night second-handedly gives you permission to tag along with the craziness. If you’re naturally a horrible dancer, dance! The majority of the drunks are dancing pretty bad anyway. If a lot of people are laughing at nothing, laugh! You’ll soon catch-up with the randomness of the night and may find it to be very amusing.
You won’t have hangovers nor wake up drunk and hungover. I’ve never gotten to that stage while drinking, but I can’t even imagine how horrible it must be. On a brighter note, it’s always a good story when you take care of your hungover friends and reminisce about the night. Stories, galore!
Most importantly, you remember the night. You remember everything that happened and every little detail that went along with it. You remember the friend who cried on your shoulder, sobbing tears as he/she told you his/her life story. You remember the funny drunk who cracked non-comprehensible jokes with you about people you know. You remember it all.
You don’t have to be drunk or tipsy every time you decide to go out. If you choose to drink, that’s fine. If you choose not to drink, that’s fine, too. Be yourself and be you. Others will and should respect you for who you are. So sit back and enjoy the show!
