Social drinking, responsibility, reverence for the law, and silly things that shouldn't be
I did some clearing out of groups on the Facebook today, and I realized the time has passed for me to leave the "Mysterious Non-drinkers" group I started freshman year. The group has grown and shrunk in the past. It started as a personal ultimatum to everyone which I first accepted myself: don't drink underage and bash the laws without working to change them. I still live by this ultimatum, which naturally becomes moot as I grow beyond 21 years of age.
People respected me for never giving into peer pressure to drink, but they never took my reasons to heart. My reason was that for such an elective activity as drinking, it is folly to trample upon local laws and regulations (enforced or less enforced) and make no motion to change them. Since people didn't buy my argument, I decided to "mysteriously" never touch alcohol until 21.
Anyway, here's my farewell message from the group:
Hi everyone,
I was a Mysterious Non-drinker purely for legal reasons. When it comes to such an elective activity as alcohol, it makes no sense to violate laws for a dubious high. However, I intended from the start to drink socially once I came of age. People didn't understand this, so I made this group: "Mysterious Non-drinkers."
My reasons no longer mysterious, my non-drinking now legal social drinking, my steadfastness proved to myself and those few who sparred with my will, I leave the group now as a witness to the power of the individual to hold to his or her well-reasoned stances and values, even in the face of real pressure to do otherwise. Remember to choose your fights carefully, but to fight the good fight.
See everyone in two weeks.
People respected me for never giving into peer pressure to drink, but they never took my reasons to heart. My reason was that for such an elective activity as drinking, it is folly to trample upon local laws and regulations (enforced or less enforced) and make no motion to change them. Since people didn't buy my argument, I decided to "mysteriously" never touch alcohol until 21.
Anyway, here's my farewell message from the group:
Hi everyone,
I was a Mysterious Non-drinker purely for legal reasons. When it comes to such an elective activity as alcohol, it makes no sense to violate laws for a dubious high. However, I intended from the start to drink socially once I came of age. People didn't understand this, so I made this group: "Mysterious Non-drinkers."
My reasons no longer mysterious, my non-drinking now legal social drinking, my steadfastness proved to myself and those few who sparred with my will, I leave the group now as a witness to the power of the individual to hold to his or her well-reasoned stances and values, even in the face of real pressure to do otherwise. Remember to choose your fights carefully, but to fight the good fight.
See everyone in two weeks.