Life: A Collegiate Dilemma

With a year of observation notched softly in my mind, I can now more accurately assess the validity of one of my many past decisions: the choice to never drink. Although I’m still holding strong, surprisingly, I have recently contemplated reneging on my stance.



I’ve held and still do hold a firm belief that if I were to embark on this mind altering journey I would, in fact, have fun. I would like it. And for that very reason I have resigned myself to hallowed conversations and legal entertainment, rather than drunken exchanges and illegal amusements.

It does seem almost intrinsically counterintuitive to choose not to partake in an activity because it will be fun. It does. But think for a moment; with my future hanging in the balance somewhere between focus and dedication, why would I risk entirety for the sake of partiality, temporary enjoyment at the expense of future success, or imaginary fixations for authentic relationships?

And without rushing to any rash conclusions I offer a prerequisite for this aforementioned argument. When partaking in a particular activity that gives me pleasure I, in most instances, choose to figuratively throw myself into the activity. I fear therefore, that the frequency of my drinking would be somewhere between alcoholism and too often. Not desired.

Even so, I’ve continuously witnessed peer after peer not fall into this figurative slope, enjoying their altered being for a weekend and then almost immediately fall back in line for Monday’s lecture. My competitive spirit rings loudly, “if they can do it, why can’t I?”



More likely than not, I could. Therefore, why not? And although "why not" is a convenient and lazy argument, my peers have continuously used it to justify countless weekend extravaganzas. Yet I still offer…Why not?

Because, even if there is a nil chance, I am not willing to take the risk of losing my own logic (dedication for school) at the expense of a temporary high.

The decision stands.