When you reach a certain age, there is a general assumption that you consume alcohol without thinking twice. People ask you what you want to drink at parties and hand you beers without batting an eye. The funny thing is, most of the time that point is far before you reach the age of 21.
Don’t get me wrong; I am not one to judge other people for drinking before they are of age. To me, they are free to make choices about what they put in their body, just as I am. I wish those close to me wouldn’t drink, but that is only because the paranoid side of me wants them to be safe. Thankfully, I know most of my friends are smart enough to drink responsibly.
In college, most people don’t care about others’ choices, such as the choice to drink or not to drink. So, people don’t really peer pressure me in the way I always thought they would in elementary school. Rather than a crowd of people chanting at me and shunnning me if I refuse to drink, I’m faced with curious people that ask undermining questions. I take precautionary measures to avoid pressure, such as keeping my non-drinking habits to myself unless asked. Most of the time, people leave you along if you say “I’m good” when they try to fill your cup. However, there are some that ask more questions, and force you to open the can of worms that is choosing not to drink. At that point, I’m faced with questions such as “I’m so curious to see what kind of drunk you are,” or “I need to be there for your first shot.” Comments like these are pretty much harmless, but the tone can sometimes be condescending. People often act like I am naïve or inexperienced because I choose not to drink, rather than respecting it as a lifestyle choice.
I have always had a hard time understanding the appeal of alcohol, but that’s probably because I’ve never tried it. To be honest, I am a little bit of a control freak, and the thought of my judgement being impaired is a scary one. But aside from that, I have never felt the need to drink. Beer doesn’t smell good, so I can’t imagine it would taste much better. People always talk about how alcohol burns when you swallow it, so why would I want to try that?
Since I have never had a drink, I also have a hard time understanding just how impaired people really are when they’re drunk. I have absolutely no frame of reference for how many shots it takes for somebody to feel the effects, and I am not the best “mom” for drunk people because I have never been drunk myself. I have no idea what helps hangovers or what sobers people up after they’ve had too much to drink.
I guess my lack of drunken experience does make me naïve in some sense, but it is a naivety I am perfectly happy with. Now that I am less than a year away from my 21st birthday, I am wondering if I’ll drink even when I’m legal. I don’t find drinking appealing, and I don’t think the difference between 20 and 21 will make change that. Whether or not I chose to drink in the future is my choice, and I will stand by it.