I turn 21 in April, and most are ecstatic to reach that age, mostly due to their ambition to finally drink alcohol legally. I have never been attracted to the idea of drinking. The amount of negative impacts it inflicts on society and one's self is just too high for my own liking. I will never shut the door on ever doing it in the future on occasion, but for now, I just don't see it.

Firsthand, I know alcoholism pretty well, and have seen a large pool of people around me doing it. For one, the mere fact that one could be so drunk and get on the road and potentially injure or kill someone in the process is frightening. My father specifically had told me previously that he wouldn't be bothered with the idea of me drinking, as long as I was safe about it. When I told him he had nothing to worry about, and that it wasn't my first and foremost life interest, he didn't want to believe me. Conventional wisdom regarding a typical teenager didn't prevail.

Facing many obstacles and tragedies in my twenty years of life on this Earth, it has often been hard to keep a smile on my face. For anyone, it would be. Everyone goes through rough patches, some worse than others. The thought of consuming alcohol was not the first on my list when brainstorming solutions to my problems.

Of course, my decision to not drink has been met with very wide skepticism. The first reaction, typically, when I tell people that I have no interest, say "Good for you, but, you've never drank at all?" with a follow-up of "I don't believe you, no way". Let's face it, most my age are out partying and living up their lives. Some are smoking weed and taking shots until they don't remember a thing when they go on to awaken the following morning. It's just never been my lifestyle and probably never will.

I'm doing me, and everyone is also doing their own. For those who are looking to give it up, and move on without it, just know it may not be easy but in the end, you can take control of this plane before it goes down. Some can weather the turbulence, and unfortunately some can't, but still have time left. Just know the only way to live happy is to live a healthy lifestyle, and find ways to make ourselves believe in the positive aspects of the world.

Happiness is inside of you, not outside of you.