As I finish my first semester of college, I have started to beg the question of whether the stable of college parties, the iconic Red Solo Cup is viewed as half empty or half full? It is said that the optimist will view a halfway filled glass as half full, while the pessimist will view the glass as half empty.
As a person who chooses Netflix and studying in my dorm on a Friday Night, instead of going out to parties. I often wonder what an individual's motive must be to go out and party every weekend. The obvious comes to mind: to have fun with friends, meet new people, and carpe diem. Then there is the other side: the pressure to fit in, the fear of being left out, worried about not making enough friends, and the famous "I'm in college, this is what I'm supposed to be doing."
My verdict of the two viewpoints:
Half Empty: The person who views their cup as half-empty is the person who goes out every night constantly looking for something that they will never find at the bottom of a Red Solo Cup. They are searching for answers, comfort, and the urge to forget. The person who goes out, because they are scared to be left out and feels the need to drink to fit in. The person who drinks, because their friends drink, not because they truly want to. This person will always feel the need to replenish their drink, never drinking enough.
Half Full: The person who goes out to have a good time with their friends. The person who realizes their limit and knows they need to make it home to call their Mom the next day. The person who would not change their viewpoints on drinking, even if everyone around them did. The person who does not feel the need to go out every weekend and has fun building a puzzle on a Friday night. Fun, to them, is not defined as alcohol, partying, and dancing- it is only a small aspect.
This past semester I sat by and watched everyone around me go and find comfort in the bottom of Red Solo Cup. I experienced the fear of being left out and felt like I was doing something wrong because I was not shimmying into a skin tight skirt and low-cut shirts every Friday Night. I have been called a Goodie-Two-Shoes, a Prude, and everyone another word. I have been looked down on for not stumbling into my dorm at 2 a.m. and barely making it to my twin bed. However, I survived. I surrounded myself with people who viewed their Red Solo Cups as half full, even if there was nothing in it. I realized that I am far stronger than the people who view their glasses as half empty, even if my friend group is much smaller. I realized that the people who do decide to go out are not awful people, it is just what they choose to do. I want people to respect my decision to stay in, therefore I respect their decision to go out.
If you are struggling to find your way in college or whatever path of life you may be in, only you can decide what is best for you. Start viewing your life as half full and stop searching for something you will never find or aren't meant to have. Only God knows what you need, and your trust in Him will allow you to start viewing your life as half full. Have faith that everyone is occurring how it is supposed to be and even if everything is in shambles that only means everything is falling into place. By constantly viewing your cup as half empty you are cutting yourself off from a whole spectrum of happiness.
Toby Keith said it best- "Red Solo Cup I fill you up..."
Regardless of how you choose to spend your college career, make sure you are the one filling up your Red Solo Cup.
