Too Old To Party?

The party last night, if you want to call it that, brought forward many thoughts and questions. Is there a certain age where it becomes morally wrong to party? When one gets married, is it no longer feasible to party? When one has children, does partying then set a bad example for the kids? Once one gets started in on their career, are in the middle of their career, or are at the tail-end of their career, does it then become immature to party? Once a person reaches one of these points in their lives, does their etiquette and behavior automatically alter to a more mature and socially acceptable manner? If it does not, does this make them less of a human being? Do their peers make them feel this?

These are a few of the questions that came to mind after last night. On New Year's Eve, I went to this "party," where people sat around and talked about work for 3 hours. They probably continued this conversation after my friend and I left. Movie quotes were said randomly throughout the evening. A pregnant lady walked in and began talking about and lecturing on the pregnant life. She talked baby names: Sophia, Jack, Jackson, Eva, Leila, Michael, Sophie, Alex, Kenneth. I heard them all. This was the ladies chat room. So, I then headed on over to the guy's chat room. What'd they talk about? Work, people at work, guns, stories from the "party" last year, about how bad marriage was, teasing each other. The guy's chat room got a little crowded, so I headed back to the other room, where there were only three ladies chatting. I walk in on political discussion. You know, I love talking politics. I'll be the first to admit that. But, come on, on New Year's Eve? At a New Year's Eve "party" with people you don't know? Give it a rest. This lady there started talking about the death penalty. I am very much against the death penalty, but I did not want to get into it. My goal for going to a New Year's Eve party is to socialize, drink, have fun, be goofy, and head into the new year on a good note. This lady was going on and on about how just it was for the state to kill people. She even said she agreed with more extreme methods of capital punishment some foreign countries practice. Then, she was asking my friend and I if we were dating. We said no and she gave us this look like, "Uh huh, sure" and she even sounded that way, when she responded with a "okayyyyyy." I also got to listen to some jokes regarding brain surgery and tumors. I had a brain tumor removed surgically just over two years ago. I heard jokes on seizures. There was plenty of gay-bashing. I even let loose my impression of a flamboyantly-voiced man after they made certain comments, to try and keep them off balance and hint for them to shut their traps. It didn't work too well, as they teased this one guy there in particular, because he isn't married and doesn't have a girlfriend.

When's a New Year's Eve party not a New Year's Eve party? For all the reasons I mentioned above. It's the time to celebrate, not to talk politics. It's the time to goof around and have fun, not to talk about what you do every single day with people you do that with on a daily basis. It's the day to try new things and start new traditions, not to constantly talk about past shindigs and what happened at those. It's a time to let that child or adolescent out in you, letting you know it's still there, not a time to prove to yourself and the world that you're older, therefore more mature, and therefore more boring. No matter how old you are, how up tight and serious you are, no matter how far the stick has slid up your you-know-what over the years, there are always times to let loose, be young, and have fun. It doesn't matter how old you are, a true party will always be the same. There will be friends, family, loved ones. There will be laughter and smiles. There will be games played that everyone can take part in and enjoy. There will be stories told that everyone will be able to get a kick out of. There will be joy, happiness, love, and celebration. So, please, for everyone's sake, let's all make a New Year's resolution not to take things so seriously all the time and know how to party, regardless of who we are and where we are in our lives. Cheers!