Sick of obsessive drinking culture.

[Bomby]

I'm 21 years old and I don't drink. At all. While I have no trouble making casual friends, it seems I can never really connect with anyone because they seem to equate having fun with getting completely wasted and can't disconnect the two of them. Even living on a supposedly "substance free" floor in a dorm for two years in a row has been futile, as many of the people were placed on the floor against their will and many of those who weren't I sometimes have trouble being really close to. This is especially frustrating in the dating field. You see, ideally I would like to find a girl I like who either doesn't drink at all or doesn't drink very often, but those I meet who fit this description always seem to have some other quality that makes me incompatible with them.

It's late and I'm sick of writing this so I'm going to abruptly end it right here.

[Metal Man]

It's weird, but I seem to amuse myself by making jokes at drunk people, so I've actually fit in as the 'sober guy.'

The drinking culture is pretty heavy, but if you're weird like me, you can get around it by entertaining the drunk people like some sort of bard. Then they all like you and will tolerate that you don't drink, and you can get a couple laughs yourself at how the drunk people act.

[ZeldaGirl]

I enjoy watching drunk people interact. I will admit that.


Don't despair, Bomby - it sucks now, but eventually, you'll find a group of people (and girls) who don't drink whom you hang out with.

[Kargath]

I just can't stand the taste.
Except for Bailey's, and that's expensive.

[STOP LOOKING AT ME]

Where I come from, Bars are places of high crime. Good job not going to one.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

There's a lot of us who don't actually think drinking = good times to be had by all. I have a very good friend who never drinks, though he's always happy to chill if we're having a few. I certainly dislike the idea that you have to be drunk to have fun, and I don't understand people who get trashed off their face every weekend. What's the point of their "fun" if they can't remember any of it the next day?

[Auron]

I know exactly what you're talking about Bomby. I've got a bit of the same problem over here too.

[Dr. Horrible]

I've always found it pretty silly when someone thinks it's a compelling story to tell me how much they had to drink some night.

[Kargath]

Originally Posted by Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds

There's a lot of us who don't actually think drinking = good times to be had by all.

I think a lot of your aim convos differ on that one , SD :P

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

Drinking = good times had by me.

Unless I have access to too much liquor and no one else is paying attention to how much I'm consuming (when I'm drunk, I forget that my little body can't handle too much booze).

[MASALOBOTOMY]

I remember things when I'm drunk though...

[Joker]

I am a drinker this is true. But despite my preference for a chilled glass of whiskey I have friends and family members who do not drink at all and still manage to have ridiculous amounts of fun with me. Much like my preference for herbal intoxication I still have tons of fun with individuals who don’t participate in the great love that is Ganja. There are so many things that friends can do that doesn’t require alcohol or smoke. Now the problem may lie in the type of “drunk” category your friends fall under.

I have some friends who are the “aww come on” drunks who often get annoyed at other friends who are not drinking. They usually have this reaction because for the life of them they can not fathom anyone having as much fun as they are with out the help of a social lubricant. These are the individuals who when they find out your not drinking go “aww come on, just one….what? Why not? That’s lame…well whatever”. Despite their disappointment that my friends will not bow to their offer, they do not get offended to the point where they actually begin to hound them with peer pressure. I don’t mix well with people that try to force anything against anyone’s will. (Unless its me doing the forcing) j/k

There are the “obnoxious” drunks. These are the individuals that I can only hang out with if I know that I’m going to be drinking with them as well. Because lets face it, the only time you don’t mind being with some one who’s obnoxious is when your being obnoxious your self. These groups of drunks are way too loud and inconsiderate of an individual’s personal space to be able to have any kind of fun with in almost any type of setting. Major sporting events and concerts are usually the only areas that you could have a real good time with them with out anyone knowing that they are acting obnoxious.

There are the “silly” drunks. These are your youthful drinkers who more or less have a good gauge of how much to drink. A good percentage of college students I met while living on campus fell into this group. They are the friends that giggle, laugh and find the most interesting things to do while sauced. A great many games have been invented while spending time with this group of drinkers. They don’t get too loud except when laughing, they are more or less coherent and have not yet succumbed to any speech impediment and are far more coordinated than the previous group of drinkers. These are the friends that are willing to strip down to their undergarments lather up in soap and begin sliding across the tile floors of the dormitories. Simply because someone happened to mention in a passing breath how fun it would be to slide across the floor. They are pretty much the same as when they’re sober with the exception of a noticeable increase of happiness. THESE PEOPLE ROCK WHEN YOU HAVE THEM TOGETHER TO PLAY A GAME OF SMASH BROTHERS / MARIO CART / BOWLING (wii) !!

There are the “I love you” drunks. These individuals get overly emotional and sometimes can cry or become extremely angry at some of the most insignificant things. They have a hard time managing their feelings around others and usually don’t mix well in big groups. Smaller settings can keep the chances of having them flip out reduced to a minimum while putting them in a place with a lot of commotion and good music can be distracting enough to keep them from falling to far into their emotions. These people can also start off being very quite while drinking only to explode with a fountain of emotion out of nowhere.

There are also the “Hyper” drunks. My brother is one of these people. I have no idea how he does it but when he gets the sauce just right, this guy will go 12 rounds boxing his shadow and then play a full game of basketball and then end it all with a drunken race across the sandy beach floor. These people love to drink at clubs and then dance it all out of their system. They pound shot after shot and then just as quickly push it out their body as the rush of adrenaline forces them to move their arms and legs at top speed. They are great to have around at parties because they will usually be the one pulling people up to dance if they’re being wall flowers. These individuals are usually up for almost anything and will be more than happy to recreate any jackass stunt you request. When you can find a cute girl that falls into this category….you sir are one lucky man.

There are the “intellectual” drunks. These are the people that want to match wits with you once they have a couple of drinks in them. People who are highly intelligent and are quietly vain about their intellect tend to jab at others with their smarts as they get loosened up. Even individuals who aren’t that smart to begin with might think more of their level of intellect once they start drinking and start up obvious “no no” conversations when drunk. An example of a “no no” conversation between intellectual drunks would be ones that bring up politics, RELEGION and social economic standings of today’s culture. These people are good to have around when your partying late at night before a final exam, because you can actually squeeze some good information from them while having fun. The problem is trying to retain the knowledge that they share so that it sticks when you wake up to take that final the next morning.

Then you have the “level” drunks. These people work themselves through each group in one sitting. They might start off quiet and unresponsive but by the end of the night they have robbed a liquor store, danced on a stripper pole, argued with the nice lady working the register of the local ice cream shop about the faulty hood of the tax system only to end up crying over their free ice cream because the top scoop fell off the cone. I know a couple of people like this and its always a crap shoot to go out with them. You never really know who you’re going to end up with once they start drinking.

As you get in to your college years a great chunk of your friends will be drawn into one of these drinker groups. Alcohol in college tends to swallow up a good 75-80% of the student populous. So I can understand how hard it can be to find those who don’t drink at all. But whether some one drinks or doesn’t there is always a good time to be had. I mean Mormons do it right??

Seriously though Bomby don’t be discouraged. With the right friends and the right attitude a good…..no scratch that….a freaking great time is waiting for you. Our society might be filled with drunks but at least we have those of you who are sober enough to party on while we lay passed out or vomiting.

[PSYCHOKID909]

Wow great essay Joker.

- You stupid dog!

[GURU ANT]

Originally Posted by Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds

There's a lot of us who don't actually think drinking = good times to be had by all. I have a very good friend who never drinks, though he's always happy to chill if we're having a few. I certainly dislike the idea that you have to be drunk to have fun, and I don't understand people who get trashed off their face every weekend. What's the point of their "fun" if they can't remember any of it the next day?

Gotdamnit SD, I love it when you're right, this must be why AI married you.

About 95% of my friends the people I associate myself with drink, but I don't, and maybe 10% smoke the marijuana, I don't do that either. I don't mind hanging with them when they're drinking, because they don't have a problem with me being there, hell, I enjoy myself laughing at their antics, along with just having a good time. To add to that, at least I'm there to keep them from doing **** that will screw them over.

[Lurch1982]

Originally Posted by Kargath

I just can't stand the taste.
Except for Bailey's, and that's expensive.

Bailey's is expensive? 750ml bottles are under twenty bucks. That's not expensive at all. I mean, I guess it adds up if that's all you're drinking (if so, that's disgusting. Baileys is a better mixer). Its still generally cheaper than Kahlua if you're into liqueurs. Its no bumwine, but its pretty damn cheap.

And if you're taking straight shots of Baileys, I just need to further reiterate that you have problems. I keep it around as a mixer. Great for like, Mudslides, Irish coffee, layering shots, etc. By itself? Why? Its like drinking coffee syrup. Same with Kahlua. They're designed to go into other drinks, not by themselves.

And expensive would be something like my scotch tastes. Bare minimum I'm getting is JW-Black Label, which runs about 40/bottle depending.

[chuck the duck]

Originally Posted by Bomby

I'm 21 years old and I don't drink. At all. While I have no trouble making casual friends, it seems I can never really connect with anyone because they seem to equate having fun with getting completely wasted and can't disconnect the two of them.

a very small minority of people feel this way, what are you thinking

[CaptHayfever]

$40 a bottle for a beverage? Man, even the finest root beers don't cost more than a couple bucks a gallon; I save so much money by drinking my sugar before it spoils.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

[Joker]

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel - $40 (for only 450ml)

[PSYCHOKID909]

I don't want to know hom much I save by not drinking do I?

- You stupid dog!