SAT'sHomecoming...
andVodkaShots?

 

Published September, 2010 on Patch.com 

 

 

It's my second column and so I thought it was time to hit some of the hard

stuff—teen drinking and drug use. I don't think I will ever quite grasp it,

honestly. Is it insecurity? Is it fueled by a need to fit in? I'd love to know

because frankly, I just don't get it. Why do people think they need to drink

at a party or a pop a drug to be more fun?

 

Somewhere along the way I decided drinking and drugs weren't for me.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly how or exactly why but I'm betting it has a lot do

with my close family relationship, especially with my parents. I'm not saying

we're the perfect family by any means, but they have instilled the right

values in me and I have enough confidence in myself to know that it's just

who I am.

 

Besides, I could never face my parents, or even myself really, knowing that

I had done something just to fit in. Even more than that, I don't think many

people my age look at the risks. Often times we think we're invincible, and

while we can believe that as much as we want, when we see a tragic death, it finally hits us.

 

We all have those moments when the light bulb goes on. It's different for all of us. For me, it was talking to a friend about New Year's Eve last year. I had been in Florida for the holiday so I didn't partake in the house parties with the rest of my friends. I wasn't there—but I guarantee that I'll never forget our conversation.

 

My friend told me how she genuinely didn't remember one thing about the evening. She had drank so much, she literally blacked out. The worst part was, it was probably better off that she didn't know. People were making up stories, taking advantage of the fact that she didn't remember a single thing. She was terrified because some of these stories were intense, too. How would you feel if people were telling you that you had hooked up with over half the guys at the party, did a striptease and then topped it off with a little skinny-dipping?

 

Too often, we don't think about the long run. And that's a big problem. But sometimes, it's not even the long run that's the most dangerous. What if something goes wrong? Was it worth it then? There are so many pieces to the puzzle: What if you accidently overdose or take something that you thought was something else or drink just way too much and do something that you regret afterward. And it's pretty easy to get ahead of yourself. These parties don't just serve beer. No, that's weak. Those plastic red cups are filled with vodka and tequila.

 

Interestingly enough, the schools require students involved in clubs and activities to sign a form saying that they will refrain from all illegal substance use. Trust me, when that third drink is in hand, most students are not thinking about a little piece of paper. Unless the police get involved, there's really no way to enforce this contract.

 

We all know who the drinkers and druggies are, yet they're often a core of sports and other extracurriculars at schools. There are teams at school that have been completely transformed. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of students who abstain from drinking and drug use, but there are ones that are hard core, too. I wish someone could just explain it to me—could tell me why people feel it's necessary to drink and use drugs to "have fun." Maybe I just have a different definition of fun, because that doesn't sound like fun to me. Frankly, it just sounds stupid.

 

Sometimes it's awkward, sure. If someone offers you a drink, you have to take it, right? Not true. Some of my best friends like to drink. That's their thing, but it doesn't mean it has to be mine. I've made it really clear to my friends that it's not part of what I do, so they don't pressure me to do it. And let me tell you, I always have just as much fun—maybe even more—considering I remember it the next day.

 

Now comes the corny part. Most importantly, I'm being true to myself, and I think that's always what it really boils down to. I think that people believe they're going to be mocked for not drinking or be "uncool." Honestly, that hasn't been my experience. I just brush it off: "Eh, no thanks." 

 

I know it's kind of cheezy, but I guess you could say that I have a plan for myself. It just doesn't happen to include smoking pot and taking shots of vodka.