I went somewhere this past weekend that I am embarrassed to admit and thankfully the night was young and there weren't many witnesses. But when you're in a group, you usually end up doing what the group chooses to do, at least for a little while in order to be diplomatic. Well, there are a few things I would put my foot down on immediately and walk away, such as going to strip clubs and Hooter's. The place that I went to and never want to go to again was a nightclub, and I didn't have my drivers license not expecting to go anywhere that I would actually get carded. But the doorman let me in, which means I am officially looking pretty OLD, even while wearing a school girl costume. I was a good sport and stayed about 45 min to 1 hour until I couldn't stand it anymore. The thump thump music and the flashing lights are enough to induce a seizure, and worst of all, I am disturbed by the visions of drunken people who hump on each other and chain smoke.

While waiting in line to get in the club, I told one of the guys in my group that I couldn't remember the last time I entered a nightclub, and he rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, right". I am surprised to think that people who are my peers still assume that everyone goes out and parties on weekends. I think that a clubber at the age of 30, at least in this town, is in the minority.

I shouldn't toss stones; I'm just as nutty as the party animals. I spend every weekend trying to wear myself out (successfully, most of the time) via endurance sports. It's a different kind of time-wasting, albeit more healthy and memorable.

If I refrain from judgment based on the time and money variables, we still have the issue of memorable experience. My companion at the club had a friend there who was wasted and was spouting the usual loving-drunk-person-cliches, like "I love this guy!" and "My friend Joe Bob is awesome!" and so on. And he didn't remember it the next day, I'm sure. There has to be something better for people with nothing to do than this. I think that the nightclub should redact its minimum age limit for a maximum of say, thirty years old. This rule will protect immature adults from themselves. I'm happy, though regretful, that I got that party-girl phase out of my system in my mid-twenties. I wish I had done something more constructive with the time, but I can't go back and do it over again. Nowadays I will attend the occasional smoke-free concert or party, but I have just about zero interest in spending time in bars and nightclubs.

So if you see someone who looks like me at a nightclub, it isn't me. And thank you, Jesus, for letting me come to my senses.