I Know You're An Idiot; No Need to Broadcast It

I'm trying to figure out if I'm the only one in a group of my friends and peers who's grown up. It seems like every weekend, and occasionally during the week, many of my friends are bragging about the plans they have to go out and get drunk. Seriously?

No, I'm not jealous; I couldn't care less about going out every weekend. I'm really more of a homebody and prefer to sit in the comforts of my own living room. I also drink - occasionally. And when I do drink it's vodka and whatever juice I have in the house: a big 32oz tumbler filled with crushed ice, a shot of vodka in the bottom, and the rest filled with juice. It's just enough to help me relax a little bit; and I generally only have one drink because it takes me a while to drink it.

My friends, however, seem to take pride in the fact that they go out every, or every other, weekend just for the purpose of getting drunk with their friends. That's what you did in high school; haven't you outgrown it yet? Then you complain the next day about how crappy you feel. Well DUH!!! How did you expect to feel? It just doesn't make sense to me; not when anyone gets drunk for sport, but especially when adults with children do it.

See, I could drink to get drunk if I wanted to but I can't stand the hungover feeling. Yes, I've gotten drunk before, when I was much younger, and it wasn't a habit. I also don't get drunk because I have kids to take care of; they're a helluva lot more important than me overindulging in alcohol for the evening. If there's an emergency with one of them and I'm drunk, I'm screwed because I can't drive to an ER. If one of my kids gets sick and needs me but I'm too drunk to help, or even passed out, what happens then?

My friends who do go out and get drunk on the weekends have kids. Some of them have older kids who could, if the need arose, fend for themselves. Other friends have children who are younger than my own; they certainly can't take care of themselves. What does a drunk parent do when a child needs assistance? And regardless of age, what does a child do if something happens to a drunk parent? Never thought of that, did you?

I completely understand the need to get out every now and again, to get a break from the grind of the household and the kids; but does it have to be every weekend and does it always have to involve alcoholic beverages? Can't you find something to do where you're actually behaving responsibly, and keeping in the forefront of your mind the young charges you have waiting for you at home, who are counting on Mom or Dad making it home safely?

People are free to do as they please, and to behave as they see fit; I just really can't stand reading all the Facebook posts from people who brag about getting drunk, then bitch about feeling like shit, and complain because "the kids won't let mommy take a nap." Fuck you! It's time to grow up and realize that your days of being irresponsible with your friends are long gone; you have children to raise and a positive example to set for them.

If you can't understand that, or if you just don't care, then keep doing what you're doing but learn to shut up about it because it's making me sick. You want to act like a jackass then deal with the consequences of it. Just don't expect me to ask you how much fun you had or to feel sorry for you when you overdo it - again.

Until next time...peace to all.