I went to high school in a time when we did
not have cell phones or Facebook. We didn’t have to worry about pictures of us
engaging in illegal activity surfacing on our parents’ or coaches’ computers.
Our biggest concern was staying sober enough to outrun the cops especially when
we were in uniform.
Having worked in youth ministry for almost
a decade, I have often heard adults talk about how awful drugs and alcohol are.
This drives me nuts… hang on, stay with
me. The truth is that getting drunk and high is fun. If it wasn’t, people
wouldn’t do it. Tell me I’m wrong.
BUT what is also true is that losing control of your mind and your ability to
reason oftentimes results in bad choices with horrible consequences. There is a reason why it’s illegal for kids –
whose brains are not fully developed – to drink. And there is a reason why it
is illegal to smoke pot.
As you will learn from my story, the fun is
NOT worth the consequences… so don’t do
it. And if you think it can’t happen to you… you are a fool – just like I was. Because I share my story, people
share their stories with me. Trust me, it CAN
and eventually WILL happen to you.
The
Week-Long Party
We were so excited when Pete announced that
he was going to have a party throughout the entire week surrounding July 4,
1992. At the time, he was living with some relative. That relative was going on
vacation and we were going to have a blast. I believe the party started on
Friday, July 3rd. We were there every day.
The
Set-Up
On Tuesday, July 7, Ashley and I went to
the party after work. Tina was working that night. Jenny and Lisa were not
there. Ashley and I did not intend to stay long, but there was no way we were
going to miss a day of this.
Shortly after arriving, Pete challenged me
to a drinking contest. He was going to match me shot for shot of Everclear. Not familiar with Everclear? Well, it’s a nasty hard liquor that is so strong it
makes vodka seem like water. We did between 8 and 12 shots in less than 30
minutes.
What
was I thinking? Well, I was a tough girl who didn’t
back down from a challenge. I could hang with the boys and I was proud of it.
Now let’s talk about the stupidity of that statement…
You see, Pete wasn’t shooting Everclear. He
was shooting water. Ashley and I didn’t know it, but Pete and some of the boys
did. When you consume that much alcohol that quickly, you don’t get drunk right
away. You feel in control until all of a sudden you are
on-the-floor-out-of-your-mind-incapacitated drunk. Aren’t you impressed? At the
time, I certainly thought everyone would be.
Just so you don’t think I was a complete
idiot, let me clarify a few things for you:
- I was an AP Honor Roll student who had just graduated at the top of her class.
- This wasn’t my first party. I was NOT a lightweight.
- Pete was our friend. And he was a top athlete who was well-respected by the students and the faculty at our school.
- We were with friends, so we thought we were safe.
We were so naive.
Previous Installments:
>There is a reason why it’s illegal for kids – >whose brains are not fully developed – to drink. >And there is a reason why it is illegal to smoke >pot.
ReplyDeleteThat is the silliest thing I have heard. Do you actually believe that?
You can go kill and die in any war at 18, but you can't have a cold beer with your hot wings! C'mon, recreational drinking isn't about an under developed brain as much as an over-inflated ego.
It has been well known to men that vodka loosens women up and it's been well known to women that vodka loosens them up. I know someone right now that has been *raped* several times; yet, she will drink vodka with several men. Is it always rape? I mean why not drink at home and alone.
You can kill someone at 18 and even drunkenness will not excuse your crime. There is nothing magical about the age of 21! As far as development; well final development - both mental and physical- occurs at about the age of 25.
Should this be the age for all consent? Military, college, employment? Or just for careless recreational drinking?
I'm guessing that you are someone who has sex with drunk women. I'm allowing your post to be published because I think your ignorance speaks for itself.
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