The
toilet-hugging celebrations of turning
21 not worth it
Does
turning the ever-awaited age of 21 have
to begin in a night of celebration and
end up in the bathroom regretting your
drink count? Within the past week, I have
had two friends turn 21 and have experienced
the rough reality of how brutal alcohol
can be. A friend of mine recently counted
down the minutes until he became legal,
entered the bar at midnight and ordered
his first drink. That first drink was
followed by a second, third and more until
we lost count. Two hours, and three sheets
to the wind later, he left the bar and
made his way home. The cold tile floor
in the bathroom was a soothing relief
while "recalling" all of his
drink choices.
Why
is it that so many people center the celebration
of their 21st birthday on alcohol? Becoming
drunk, mumbling incoherent thoughts and
stumbling out of a bar is not how I envision
my 21st birthday. I see the advantage
of turning 21 as being able to go out
and socialize in the bars — not
to get drunk — but to have a couple
of drinks and enjoy the company. Why get
drunk? The bars are not going out of business;
they will open in the morning if your
urge to drink is that strong.
In
October a girlfriend of mine will turn
21. She has never had a drink in her life
and explains her choices. She honored
her parents when she was younger and stayed
away from alcohol. Soon not drinking became
a part of who she is. Now the question
everyone wonders is: will she finally
drink on her 21st birthday?
"If
I do drink, it would be a mixed drink
that would not affect my behavior. A lot
of people want me to drink with them,"
she said. Witnessing friends' actions
and attitudes while drunk has left a representation
of alcohol that is less than appealing.
"Maybe people get drunk when they
turn 21 because they legally can,"
she said. "They do not have to rely
on anyone else or a fake ID. That is all
I can think of." I cannot think of
any reasons either.
I
do not discourage the celebration of the
21st birthday nor do I discourage the
enjoyment of alcohol. I just remain puzzled
as to why people choose to get drunk and
hug the toilet until dawn. It is a little
ironic if you think about it: the law
states the one is responsible at 21 to
drink, and people usually then show that
responsibility by getting drunk at a bar
until the bartender or wallet cuts them
off.
I
have less than a month until I turn 21
and through watching my two friends celebrate
their birthdays I have learned that in
order to truly enjoy the night, not to
get carried away with the alcohol. It
may feel empowering to order as many drinks
as you would like but it does feel dreadful
in the morning when you are on the cool
tile of the bathroom floor.
Ginny
Galvin is a third year print journalism
student at CSULB.
