I turned 21…..And took my first drink?
There are several milestone birthdays in a person’s life. At 16, we get our drivers license. At 18 we can vote. At 20 we are no longer in our “teens”. And then it gets here…. 21. I CAN BUY RED WINE AT THE CVS AND EAT POPCORN JUST LIKE OLIVIA POPE ON “SCANDAL.”
In preparation for this day, I began compiling a list of things people told me when they found out I was turning 21.
Here are my favorites:
“Don’t be a p*ssy, have a drink.”
“Go easy, rookie.”
“Quick buzz is fireball, but be very very careful with fireball.”
“Tequila is the answer, tastes awful though so squeeze tons of lime and club soda.”
“Make sure you eat and stay hydrated.”
“Please go out. You need to. Please tell me you’ll have a beer.”
These are the comments I heard, generally, every single time I told someone I was turning 21. Then I got a crazy look every time I told someone I have never had alcohol. It wasn’t for religious purposes or because I resented alcohol for some reason; I just never had it. So imagine my horror when I turn 21 and am suddenly thrust into this spotlight that tells me I need to have a drink. I KNOW I can have a drink. It says so on my license!
My friends were also super concerned that I didn’t have plans yet to go out. I heard “You better call me if you end up home alone taking your first drink.” At first I thought “why can’t I just do what I want.” Then I realized I have some pretty cool friends who don’t want me drinking alone.
Did I even drink alcohol? Absolutely not. I got to the aisle at CVS with the wine and champagne and felt like I didn’t belong and ran out. I bought some Goldfish instead. I was so ready to buy some wine, and then I was all like what do I do just give them my license? What if there is something wrong with my license and I have to go put the wine back, how sad will that be? I’m not prepared for this!
The point of this whole story that is pretty boring and results in me still not experiencing what alcohol tastes like is that DO WHAT YOU WANT. If you want to go out with your friends and drink on your 21st birthday, go! (As long as someone will be there to take you home, it’s all good and well.) If you want to buy nail polish instead of that bottle of $15 wine, DO IT! In all honesty, 21 is just one year closer to 30. Deep down, I think we all know that’s really when we’ll need the alcohol.
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