in which tumblr user mercerism talks about alcohol and college and words of caution

so I’ve come to realize that a bunch of y’all are on your way to college—which is SO EXCITING for starters—and I know that you’ll get this a hundred times, but seriously, I just thought I’d throw an anecdote in and say something. honestly guys, be so, so careful with drinking, especially if you didn’t drink much in high school. and even if you choose to only drink socially with friends (as opposed to going to upperclassman parties / frats & sororities), it doesn’t take much for things to get out of control if you don’t know your limits. and I consider myself a person who is not cool with letting go of the wheel. I never want to think I’m not in control of my own body. I never want to black out and forget what I did last night. I don’t want to say or do something I regret and then have to live with that. it just isn’t worth it, ever.

but it happened to me, and I got it really bad on more than one occasion because I was really foolish and thought I could handle it.

yeah, right.

that was the drinks in me talking when I thought to myself ‘okay, just one more glass, or one more shot’. you’ll find that if you have a few in you already, you start thinking you can handle another, and one more won’t hurt, because then you’ll really be rolling and isn’t it great fun to be sloppy and laughing with your friends?

personally, I think it’s nice to drink socially once and a while with my college buddies, but it’s even nicer to have a functioning liver and the memories of the good times intact.

so, anyways.

first, the ugly anecdote: my sister is in grad school in australia right now, and last january she had a huge going away party at a popular neighborhood bar. the bartender was a friend of hers, and although I don’t turn 21 until this november, arrangements were made to allow me a drink or two (my parents still ordered for me—they considered it my “reward” for helping out with some technical aspects of the party). everything was going really well and I had only had two beers, but I was starting to feel a little stressed out because some of the tech equipment wasn’t working right (I had to have slideshows playing and was manning music and a few other things) so I asked for another drink, and another after that, all within the span of two hours.

I got pretty drunk and finally my job as tech hand was winding down so I joined up with a few of my sister’s friends and just hung out and danced, and eventually one of them offered me a taste of their drink, which was my first mistake. now, I’ve known this person for years, so I wasn’t letting some stranger push something on me which is the NUMBER ONE “DO NOT DO THIS” RULE in the book of not being an idiot, but still. it was a huge mistake, because I had no clue what that drink was, or the alcohol content, and it turns out it was a long island iced tea, which is about 90% alcohol. they wound up giving me the entire thing, and yes, I drank it all, like an idiot.

I managed to stay conscious for the rest of the party, and made it back to the hotel where I was staying, and then I was up for another hour—but I don’t remember any of that at all. I talked to my friend on steam, “talked” being used loosely, because when I checked the IM the next day, it was literally thfdjsahc ebie d eif helkp completely incomprehensible. I checked my history, and saw that my internet activity consisted of listening to a slew of Homestuck piano covers. 

I don’t know about that part.

but the night previous I blacked out hard, I threw up apparently (thankfully) but didn’t remember, I was gasping and groaning and dehydrated and if I hadn’t vomited when I did I probably would’ve been hospitalized. either way, it was terrifying, I literally poisoned myself, and it could’ve been very, very bad.

the infinitely shorter and less unpleasant anecdote: one of my suitemates had gone to bed after a night of drinking last semester and the next day I didn’t realize that she had work and had head off early that morning. I was concerned about her closed door and not hearing from her and wondered if, somehow, she had passed out or gotten sick the previous night. so I spent the next few hours attempting to get her door open with screwdrivers and hairpins, pounded on the door, talked to her empty room, enlisted the assistance of my other suitemates, called her a hundred times, and then finally discovered she was off doing her thing, leaving me feeling really silly. but I also felt like I did the right thing, because if you ever live in a suite/apartment arrangement in college and your buddy peaces after a night of drinking, and if you think for a second that they might not be okay, you do something about it. if the situation calls, get public safety or their parents or something. don’t let them go unchecked. if their doors locked and things seem bad, be smart, but take action.

it could make all the difference in the world. night and day, life and death.

and I really have no eloquent way of ending this post B( so I’ll just close the book on this now