Spy_Guy said:
So my friends tell me =P
However, I don't drink alcoholic drinks, and I don't get drunk, period.
Life choice of mine.
Ok, i'm not really meaning to offend you know but I suspect that your friends might have a pretty low opinion about you behind your back.
Trust me "that guy" who refuse to drink and pretty much hate going out to clubs while his friends are all having a good time tend to create a somewhat bad reputation. And if you're not careful, you might just end up on a slippery slope where your friends simply don't call you or get in touch with you anymore.
And it's not because it's "good" to drink alcohol, it is actually quite healthy to refrain from doing so. BUT, getting drunk once in awhile isn't very likely to kill you or cause you serious long-term harm AND consuming alcohol is actually something more than just "using a drug" like most people seem to believe. It's actually a cultural and above all SOCIAL tradition that has been around for thousands of years.
It's sort of like a "rite of passage" so to say, especially among good friends. They want to see what their friends are all like when they drop some inhibitions and self-control and see if they're still "good people", away from all the politeness and niceties that people (even friends) maintain when completely sober.
Now if your friends are good people, chances are that they'll never actually tell you that they think you're a stuck-up snoozefest, but try to maintain contact with you as much as possible. Heck some might even manage to put up with you for several more years.
But the fact of the matter is that on some level, most people tend to feel "betrayed" or that they're somehow "rejected" when someone who they consider a friend refuse to get drunk with them. And this will show after repeated instances where their friends refuse to partake in the festivities and alcohol consumption.
Im not going to tell you what to do or anything (it's your choice), but I think you should know that there's more to consuming alcohol with your friends and get intoxicated than simple, mindless drug usage. And really consider if you want to run the risk of being viewed as "that guy" by the people you call friends.
And if you just think im full of shit here, then try to get a litle one-on-one time with one of them and ask them to tell you honestly if they feel wierd about you refusing to join in every time. Chances are that some of them will think/feel like you're rejecting them/their choices or that you're somehow "better" than them, and it's likely that this attitude will fester if you don't ever bring it up and communicate about it.
Also, please disregard this if your choice stems from a previous history of alcohol abuse. If you have a predisposition towards developing addictions, then it would be best to stay away from alcohol, and your friends would most likely be more understanding of your situation if they knew about it.
In any case: main point here is that there's more "bonding" in partying with friends (alcohol consumption included) and perhaps doing some stupid shit while doing it than you might think, and it would certainly not be a disservice to yourself to think it through a little with a newer perspective when you've basically decided to refuse to do something that there's nothing inherently wrong with doing.
