Rant & Rave
Rant & Rave
AS my 20th birthday approaches, I find myself questioning my sanity. Clubbed with insanity
of social ritualsI found out from a "Women of Color Health Data Book" site on the Internet that my life expectancy, as a Japanese-American woman, is 84.5 years. This means that nearly a quarter of my life is over ... is it possible to be losing my mind already?
The stimulus for doubting my good sense is an event cohorts my age call "clubbing." It is an outing that many look forward to, never forgetting to glance in the mirror to make sure everything looks just right.
As I sit the day after going clubbing, suffering from the after-effects of a late night out and an early morning rising, I replay the night in my head and wonder if I have lost my sanity.
Before I went out, I ritualistically showered, put on the makeup, did the hair and chose the outfit all in preparation for a fun night out dancing with my friends.
But why did I do all of this? I believe it defies logic.
First, when we got to the club, we saw a line a mile long that we were undoubtedly required to stand in.
Upon closer examination, we realized only those 21 and older must wait in line. So our group divided in half and I was regretfully separated from my boyfriend.
INSIDE the club, after paying a $10 cover charge and regrouping with my friends, we squeezed our way to the dance floor.
Then, in a tiny area, we found space for our group and we got to dance. Well, not exactly dance, but move from side to side trying to skillfully maneuver ourselves in an extremely restricted area, all the while trying to simultaneously look cool while hitting one person after another. So I didn't get to bust out the new moves I picked up the other night watching MTV. So much for impressing my boyfriend with fancy foot work ...
Dancing for less than five minutes, we're all dripping with sweat. And on top of that, the small space ensured we would touch other stinky, sweaty people. So much for the shower I took earlier and the makeup I put on ...
As if sweating profusely like I just ran a marathon wasn't enough, I got my toes stepped on and banged a couple of times while making my way to the restroom.
Oh, and trying to communicate with anyone was simply impossible with the blaring music that caused my eardrums to reverberate. In order to talk to anyone, I had to lean as close as I could to their ear and yell as loudly as possible.
Ending my night, I got to bed at 2:30 a.m., only to wake up this morning at 6.
So the next question is, "Did I have fun last night? Was it all worth it?"
Oddly enough, the perplexing answer is yes. I did have fun.
I had a good time even though I was sweating like a pig, with everyone around me sweating just as much. I did enjoy myself even though I got trampled on and was forced to dance in an itty-bitty area. And despite the fact that the music was so loud I had to shout in order to be heard.
Though I had only three and a half hours of sleep, I look back on last night and must admit that I did, indeed, have a great time with my friends.
So I ask again, am I losing my mind? Has insanity hit me already?
Because, quite frankly, I don't understand.
Tiffany Monroy is a 1997 graduate of
Sacred Hearts Academy who now attends the
University of Notre Dame.Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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