So I've only been drunk once in my life. I enjoy wine (not beer or martinis), but I've never felt the desire to get drunk, except once.
Like any typical college girl, I decided to finally figure out what all the hype was about on my 21st birthday. Skipping an evening out with my rowdy sorority girl-friends, I asked my three organic chemistry lab partners to join me at Nick's English Hut after we finished creating a form of Aspirin. No, we didn't try it out (on ourselves).
The lab took us over five hours to do since I broke a $180 flask half-way through and we had to start over, so obviously I had to treat my three lab buddies to some drinks even though it was my birthday.
My three lab friends knew it was my 21st and that I intended to experiment with the drunk sensation, so they ordered me a pitcher of beer, a shot of some sort (it was green and red and had the name 'turtle' in its title), and another drink with lots of glitter in it.
I took it ALL in by myself, and within two hours I was back home, opening the passenger door, falling onto the street with my legs still in the car, giggling and claiming I could make it to my volleyball game within the hour.
My amazing best friend, Emily, took me inside and put me to bed. She helped me six times during the night when I got sick and couldn't make it to the toilet, and she cleaned the toilet for me in the morning!
At some point during the night I shouted to her that I was hot, hot tamales, before I sank back into drunken sleep.
I took it ALL in by myself, and within two hours I was back home, opening the passenger door, falling onto the street with my legs still in the car, giggling and claiming I could make it to my volleyball game within the hour.
My amazing best friend, Emily, took me inside and put me to bed. She helped me six times during the night when I got sick and couldn't make it to the toilet, and she cleaned the toilet for me in the morning!
At some point during the night I shouted to her that I was hot, hot tamales, before I sank back into drunken sleep.
The next morning I awoke and made it to my fungi lab with a face that was literally green. My Berkeley-hippy professor actually asked me why I was a pale shade of mold. Pretty embarrassing, but I survived.
Why did I wait until I was 21 to get annihilated? Once was enough for me, and I've never gotten drunk since. But I am perplexed why I lacked a rebellious streak when I was in high school and college? All of my friends got drunk all the time, but I was the one who volunteered to be the designated driver.
I have never been a rebel (unless you count living in the rain forest by myself for two years as an act of rebellion, but for me it was a normal, easy thing to do that didn't involve extra courage or fearlessness on my part. It was simple and fun. I wanted to get away from a fast, crazy, technology-filled, materialistic world, so I went to live in hut for awhile).
The only time the desired-rebel part of my writer-mama shadow is allowed to come out is when I am writing about a character that has traits of people I've known in my past. Their rebellions, their freedoms, their choices all come through in my writing; I don't know if I envy them or fear them.
I don't consider my lifestyle to be that of a wallflower; I am fairly liberal, laid-back, and adventurous, but I don't see myself as feisty, rowdy or the life of the party.
I don't consider my lifestyle to be that of a wallflower; I am fairly liberal, laid-back, and adventurous, but I don't see myself as feisty, rowdy or the life of the party.
Trying to put myself in the shoes of a rebel is not easy to do since I've never really experienced that frame of mind. I can try to fake it in my writing, but it seems so obvious to me that my words show that I've never really done some of these things.
Young adult novels today are full of extreme experiences to draw the reader in (e.g., alcoholic friends, abusive parents, drug-addicted siblings, rape/incest/teen pregnancy, murder, abandonment, etc). I've read numerous award-winning books, and they all have at least one of these topics in the story.
It's depressing, but I wonder if more and more adolescents are relating to this material.
It's depressing, but I wonder if more and more adolescents are relating to this material.
When I was in high school the hot topics were sex and booze, but now it seems like these topics are light and the heavy ones in the award-winning novels today are the ones publishers want to see.
My experience with the light topics is certainly more than my experience with the heavy ones, so as a writer I struggle with writing stories that teens relate to on such deep (depressing) levels.
Is my main character in my young adult novel too simple, too boring, because he faces different types of challenges instead of experiencing acts of rebellion in his life?
Is my main character in my young adult novel too simple, too boring, because he faces different types of challenges instead of experiencing acts of rebellion in his life?
Well, I may be simple and down-to-earth, but this is what makes me happy. I'm certainly looking forward to having my first glass of wine once my baby is born (after I've pumped or nursed), but one glass is enough for me.
I just hope that the simplicity and down-to-earth approach of my writing for teens can interest them and make them think. If I ever publish my YA novel.
I just hope that the simplicity and down-to-earth approach of my writing for teens can interest them and make them think. If I ever publish my YA novel.
In the meantime, I look at my daughters and wonder:
Will they be rebels one day?
Will they grow up among peers who experience abuse, alcoholism, drugs, rape, murder, etc?
Will they want to read about these experiences in books?
Will they be content to experience an act of rebellion once or will it become a habit?
Will they look at me as a softy, a boring mommy or as an adventure-seeking mommy who just has no interest in getting drunk?
Will they be rebels one day?
Will they grow up among peers who experience abuse, alcoholism, drugs, rape, murder, etc?
Will they want to read about these experiences in books?
Will they be content to experience an act of rebellion once or will it become a habit?
Will they look at me as a softy, a boring mommy or as an adventure-seeking mommy who just has no interest in getting drunk?
6 comments:
You're such a good girl and I can safely say I was (still am) one too. I've also only gotten drunk once but I do like to get a little tipsy sometimes.
I guess, teenagers these days do relate to a more rebellious kind of life because that's how the trend is today. Sad to say that. I do hope our kids will not be influenced by such lifestyles.
I think you will be making a huge difference with a softer approach to your writings. I find your blog an interesting read and do not find it boring at all. Not one bit! Even when you're writing about fungus.
I think it's popular to write and hear about rebellion because it's trendy at the moment. I also think that there are so many differences in teens and all of them deal with different kinds of angst and forms of rebellion. I think this touches that aspect.
Thank you for your comments. I struggle with the YA literature that is available right now, not quite grasping how it fascinates the adolescents today so much, but then I turn to the news and see it as much in the news as well.
Funny that, I have never been drunk.
I do fear for who my son will become. If I like him, his peers might not. And I am quite certain if his peers look up to him, I will not like who he is shaping up to be.
Perhaps we might get lucky and geeky gets back in fashion. Wait, it never has been. Oh well...
an adventure-seeking mommy who just has no interest in getting drunk... that's who I think your daughters will see. I was a "good girl" but it took me a long time realize getting drunk is overrated. I think your simplicity and confidence in your natural ability to live and have fun is just what young girls need. Think Tina Fey and Mean Girls. Love the message.
Stasha, I'd love to see geeky in fashion. If only kids would realize that is who is 'cool' as adults :)
Angie,thanks for always seeing more in my posts and sharing it with me than I do :) You give me a lot of confidence that I'm doing a good job as a mom! So thank you!
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