When I lived with my parents, for the first 18 years of my life, the closest I came to being exposed to alcohol were my grandparents, my friends parents, and vanilla extract. When I was living in Gambia, the expat Brit community enjoyed the occassional beer. By which I mean, there was no expectation for me to consume any alcohol, whatsoever, to be a part of their social group. Even when I've been around my brother and sister, who do drink, they either are very modest drinkers or they are polite and respectful of me (both are probably the case). Ultimately, I led a life sheltered from the uses and abuses of alcohol.
Then I went to University.
Even still, I have led a life sheltered from alcohol. Kristen and I generally don't go out and, when we do, we go out for dinner or over to a friend's. Generally, we entertain at our apartment once or twice a week. However, more than a number of times I've felt more than uncomfortable because I don't drink. I often get wide eyes and raised eyebrows and a comment to the effect of, "How do you not?" I'm not entirely sure if this is said because the sayer doesn't know how to cope without drinking or because they feel it is somehow requisite (both are probably the case). Regardless, the pressure to drink at college is so powerful that I can feel it without anyone saying it to me. Living off campus, which is where the real partying happens, I go to sleep hearing the drunken babble stumble past my window.
Last night, Kristen and I
Posted by Mendon at April 29, 2006 4:12 PMPlayed shoots and ladders?
Posted by: mykgerard at May 19, 2006 12:11 AM