You know me, I’m a girl happy to spend a night (every night), with a good book, a hot chocolate and a cute little fire going for aesthetic purposes. But as someone who loves a little dance, the club is still a rare occasion for myself. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve attended a club night out. However, I’ve got sisters and friends who have all indulged and shared their stories. My personal opinion? It’s a recipe for disaster.
Let me set the scene. It’s a Friday night, all your friends are getting together for some drinks to later go on a night out. You have a good time, get a little tipsy, and eventually get to the final destination of the night, the club.
Now why does that matter? In a club what we desire is a goofy little dance, light-hearted banter, maybe some eye candy, gentle flirting or even just good energy between friends. A drink or two in the system (maybe more, maybe none), good company and good music.
Overall, sounds like the perfect package, yes? Or maybe, not. In today’s world as women, a club may not be the most comfortable environment.
Men are The Problem Obviously
Sure sure, do the proper thing and take my words with a grain of salt. However, I say what I see, what I hear, and what I’ve experienced. In this day and age, every woman shares a little fear about things that can happen. A dark room has a lot of hands, and that may be a scary thing to think about.
We’ve all heard the stories. And my heart shatters for anyone who has lived the stories. And a lot of people may not instinctively associate a club with that train of thought living under the surface. That’s okay to do. It’s okay to go out with your friends, and have a good time. Life is meant to be lived. No one should have to live in constant fear or prevent themselves from doing something because of what could happen. It’s simply the reality that, as women, we must be aware of what does.
A Good Group Can Save You
Now, I’ve been pretty serious about this. Truth warrants weight sometimes. And despite my warnings and pessimism, I’ve only had fun when going to a club. A girl and I went dancing and had a beautiful, fantastic night with silly little interactions. I hold that night close in my heart. My soul felt very free and whimsical.
One Experience Doesn’t Define Them All
As somebody with friends in different countries, I have a unique perspective on nights out. Here in Glasgow, everyone I know personally, has fun in the clubs. Even if the music isn’t what I imagined it would be when being told about the club as a kid. The energy is typically there. But energy doesn’t always account for everything. Especially for a bad playlist.
Now, everyone has different taste in music. But everyone knows good club music is a balance of 90’s and 2000’s. Unfortunately, I can’t vouch for the songs being played today. I’m a lover of music. My taste is a variety of folk, indie, classic rock, jazz, soft pop, classic rap, etc. etc. But club music shouldn’t JUST make you want to dance, it should make you feel like you can’t help BUT dance. You’ve got to be able to lose yourself. It should be an out of body experience. Or at least that’s what I had been led to believe.
What Were Clubs Like 10 Years Ago?
My oldest sister is 31. She actually was going to clubs 10 years ago. Every time I’d see her talking about them, I’d hear about the music, and her friends absolutely loving life together. Dancing their hearts out, somehow making it home, whilst always being dressed to perfection. Whatever is in the air today, makes clubs seem… less.
Now, you are probably asking, less what? The answer is simple. Everything. Being from LA, I’ve heard what one of the most music involved cities in the world felt like a decade ago. It was wild and alive. Considering LA is an absolute industry hub with everything from small to world renowed artists. Finding a place to listen to good music wasn’t hard to do. And clubs showed the benefit of being in a place like that. Not only was the music far more fun to be emersed in, the nightlife was also far more lively. The difference in watching my older sister go out all the time, to seeing and hearing about people my age go out half the time was drastic in the difference.
Social media being so new also hugely impacted who was out. I’d been so accustomed to hearing about these gorgeous men my sister and her friends would run into, dance with, sometimes become friends with, but mostly have small encounters with, I expected the same. Clubs may have been everywhere, but they also had a more niche energy to them due to you having to know about them from a person to person basis. That kind of communication promoted connection between people.
Expectations like that are difficult to get around when you’ve been anticipating joining your older sisters fun for a decade. Now, the lack of genuine connection at clubs prevents anything of the sort.
It’s all About Protecting Your Peace
When it comes down to what actually makes a night fun, it is something that varies person to person. I personally, receive joy by being immersed in stories and genuine human rapport. A good board game, deep conversation, cooking competition, etc, all share qualities. Being in the comfort of your own home with good company.
Rather than dealing with high expectations for a great night, only to be sorely dissapointed, we can turn back to the softer side of ourselves that used to have fun climbing trees and playing catch. Something that can bring out the younger, more innocent version inside of us that finally feels safe to say hello. Because we’re all just human, and when it comes down to it, we instinctively know that something where we can just, be, will be far more fulfilling.
In conclusion, I’d rather eat grass.