The oh-so-deep topic I'm going to be pondering over today is alcohol.
So, like most young people today, I do drink. I don't drink a lot compared to most people I know, but I don't abstain from it. I have a couple of friends who are tee-total (though one of them medically can't drink), some who are similar to me and don't drink masses, and then I have friends who regularly get sloshed. The last group are the ones I probably spend the most time with right now. I'm perfectly happy with my own drinking habits and I don't mind those who drink more or less than me. However, in a social setting the pressure to drink can be massive.
I have not gotten smashed many times. In fact, the most drunk I've ever been was only a couple of weeks ago and in the grand scheme of things I wasn't that bad (stomach pyrotechnics and falling off my chair aside). The times I've been drunk I have enjoyed it and definitely see the appeal for a lot of people. But, even though it is fun to a certain extent, I'm still not rushing to do it again: it's just not how I'd choose to spend every Friday night. However, even knowing that I'm making the right decision for me, I still end up feeling pressured to drink more for fear of letting my friends down.
Take the other week for example: we were pre-drinking before going out clubbing to celebrate a friend's birthday. I'd bought myself one drink (admittedly a double) at the meal beforehand and after that had been sharing other peoples drinks and been made a few more. At the time I didn't quite take in how much I'd drunk, but I did notice that I was getting more unsteady than usual - even before the final couple of drinks kicked in.
I was contemplating calling it a night at that point, but my friends were encouraging me to go out with them and get even more drunk and - I have to admit - it was incredibly tempting. However, at that point, the rational part of my mind kicked in and I declined the offer. So - after finishing off my drink and a friend's - I spent the next hour or so stumbling around, more drunk than I'd ever been, and berating myself for not being brave enough to venture out of the building. Looking back though, I know it was the right decision for me to make and I don't regret it (much).
I was only being sensible, making the right decision for myself and not stepping too far outside my comfort zone, and yet I still felt guilt for not going with everyone else. I keep finding that there's so much emphasis nowadays on intentionally getting hammered; that you've not really had a good night unless you've passed out or thrown up several times. But what if you prefer to have fun without the influence of alcohol? If you like to stay in control of yourself and would rather not risk the hangover in the morning.
Should you feel bad for not living up to others expectations? Or should you do what you feel is the best idea for yourself?
