Glow in the Dark

The 20s are all about getting social. There comes a time in your college life when you have let loose, stray outside your comfort zone and have some fun. All work and no play makes everyone no good to be with. Everyone has their limits before they need to blow off some steam. Grab your invites, take some notes and prepare to glow in the dark. 

This past week took it all the way there (please someone get my classic Degrassi reference) and I was more than not about it. It was too much, too fast and all too soon. Life I'm begging you, pleading you, beseech ng the hell out of you to calm yourself and let me get my life together. Like dang, let a man breath every once in a while. Wednesday was an emotional day and I'll just leave it at that. Thursday came along and reared it's ugly head with a shat ton of classes and then it was straight to. a BOTSC (board of trustees selection committee) info session (cause you know I'm important or that's at least what people keep telling me). On to my fraternity's invitation ceremony which gets me right in the feels every single time. No rest for the weary, as it was time to start studying for all my upcoming exams (but why do professors seem to conspire to inundate their students with tests all in the same week?). A late night it was and Friday morning came too soon. I went to visit my fraternity advisor and newly initiated brother, Lane, for his birthday and to get some help with understanding the perpetual conundrum that is physics. Off to class and I paid my friend Sam a long overdue venting session. More test prep and night came with meant it was time to light the place up and glow in the dark.

 

*Before I relay the classic college happenings of my Friday night, I'm talking this time to shout the hell out of the Wanted's new album "Word of Mouth." I cannot recommend it enough, it's literally #teamflawless. Please go cop that like yesterday. 

Friday afternoon is legitimately the quietest time on campus (rivaled only by Saturday and Sunday mornings ... wonder why) with people usually taking naps, hitting the gym, eating, watching TV or just hanging out. Soon as it hits eight o'clock however the place erupts with noise. It's like a horse race derby to get turnt up, out, and all sorts of down fastest. On this particular Friday, I would be joining the general campus culture and partaking (in the most chaste/conservative way possible) in pre-gaming. By pre-gaming, I mean mentally preparing myself to enter the foray that is the weekend nights of debauchery, hardcore vulgarity, and blatant instances of general nonsense. I psyched myself up and then spent half an hour getting ready (what you show up to party in can make or break your time there ... not really, but let a boy dream it so). The theme was an amiable one, America. Red, white, and blue face painted stripes, a "vote" shirt with the flag in the letters, a red/white makeshift cape (the laundry bag gave its inanimate object life for me to look super) and a
#teamonepercent" cardboard sign made my getup work. It was cold as heck but you have to do what you have to do, so I braced the cold and made my way to meet up with my friend Sam. We caught the bus and it was a rowdy, rickety ratchet ass mess. People shouting, jumping around, trying (and failing miserably) to twerk and furiously taking weird angle selfies. We arrived at our destination and entered the party. It was hotter than devil Satan Lucifer's armpit but it was chill. People were playing water pong, sitting around talking and a few people were talking. I made my rounds greeting people as I recognized them. The night went on and more and more people started showing up. Strangers, people I'd only ever seen in passing or that I'd never met. It got hotter, people got a little more sloppy, and I started to get uncomfortable. Clearly inebriated people coming up straight to talk right in my face like they're about to kiss me or something (like girl no, you smell like alcohol and desperation, and you don't understand personal boundaries). Like I need everyone to get it together and calm down. I just want to dance, nothing else. People say you don't need to drink to have fun, but the whole atmosphere of parties is entirely fostered by alcohol and when you're not drinking it's easy to feel out of place (combine that with noticing the social identities people hold). People definitely got looser and the atmosphere changed and with that, my cue to leave. We peaced the heck out of there and called it a night after stopping for some food. The party scene (at least this version of it in college) is not for me ... at all. As a straight edge kid (as in no drugs or alcohol) these situations are not my cup of tea at all (if earl grey tea was present I'd chug that stuff down) #soberforlife. But the thing is, I only get to make that choice for myself, not for anyone else (and that goes both ways). No matter, if I'm safe, have a pretty good time I've just about had enough glowing in the dark.

Party Questions People Never Ask (but should):

Who invited you? Because why is it okay to let a complete stranger into your home, uhm no. If nobody knows you you need to go. I don't care that you're just trying to have a good time, me not knowing who you are, or your intentions is not okay. Peace out. 
Why are you doing that?
If you're at a party and taking it way too far as in smoking inside someone else's house, downing a beer, or standing on furniture - please check yourself. This is where someone else lives, have some common decency and refrain from making a mess or stinking up the place.
How are you getting home?
Before any alcohol can be consumed, there needs to be a clear plan of action. Designated drivers a must, if you've had anything to drink ... like at all, then you're not okay to drive (screw the legal limit, it's not worth it). Someone collect the keys, have taxi numbers prepared and know when you need to seek medical help.
What are you doing?
If you're chugging any liquid that you see like the world ends tomorrow please take a second to ask yourself why you're doing it. Why people drink in the first place? To be more socially confident, cope, to forget their busy week etc. Whatever your reason, self consciousness is important.
When was your last drink?
Pace yourself. Holding a bottle and drinking it's entirety over the course of the night is not going to get you anywhere good. Keep a tally of how much alcohol you've consumed, set timers, and a limit of what you will drink and pour proper sized drinks. If you're "taking care" (regardless of how annoying that is) of other people, reserve the right to cut them off. Alcohol poisoning and asphyxiation related deaths happen more often that we think.
Where are you?

If you don't know where you are, then you've had way more than too to drink. Don't go to a party where you don't know anyone, it's just plain unsafe. Never go out alone. Be vigilante and watch out for potential dangers, alcohol has a way of bringing out the worst in people.

The 20s are all about doing something for yourself every once in a while. While too much fun can have dire consequences, the same can be said for the flipside. As young people we need time off, to check out of our lives and to ignore, if only for the night, the looming tasks we yet to deal with. The weekend are our refuge and we live for them. Live it up, safely. It's back to business when you stop glowing the dark. 

My blog post question for the day ... what's the best party theme in your opinion? I'm partial to the international theme, everyone dresses like a different country's culture (respectfully).