Stillborn

I have recently become exposed to something I had hoped I would only ever read about or perhaps see on the devilbox.  That is the phenomenon of people using "net" or "text" abbreviations such as "OMG" and "lol" in actual speech.  First off, I’d like to point out that "OMG" has the same syllables as the phrase it replaces, and thusly doesn’t really make saying said phrase any easier.  Second, I’d like to point out that before the advent of "lol" I never once heard anybody respond to something humerous by saying "laughing out loud."  I’ll admit that these things do make things like texting and instant messaging much easier, and I’ll admit to using them in that context.  But seriously, come on… WTF??

I witnessed something tonight to which I had not previously borne witness– seeing my friend Matt in an inebriated state.  That is, he was in an inebriated state.  He had actually warned me that I might not want to come to their house tonight because everybody would be drinking, including him, which is a bit different from normal because he’s been abstaining for some time.  But tonight was Tim’s birthday, and somehow that meant everybody was drinking.  I don’t comprehend the logic. 

But here’s the thing.  I used to have a terrible opinion of alcohol, and moreso of those who actually got drunk.  I still have absolutely no desire to even so much as try it myself; I’ve got a pretty good record going here.  But I have decided that I don’t mind being around people who are drinking, so long as they are people I like.  I have recently figured out how that particular attitude changed. 

I mentioned a fellow named Goolsby an entry or two ago.  Good guy, fun to be around, and surprisingly intelligent and thoughtful when he actually decides to say much of anything.  However, he made a bad first impression on me.  He showed up at Justin’s house to watch the Superbowl with us last year (and it was a big group of folks), case of beer in hand.  I had no idea who he was, had had no prior warning that a new person would be there, and he brought beer into an environment in which there had previously been none.  (Not that most of the people involved were unlikely to partake)  So, sadly, I instantly disliked him.  Well, over the course of the year, I was around Goolsby in several social situations, which is to say he was sometimes at Matt’s apartment when I’d be there, and I quickly realized that he wasn’t a bad guy at all.  I didn’t instantly think, "Hey, maybe people who drink aren’t so bad," but it was definitely the catalyst.  I stopped being the guy who’d mysteriously get up and go home when somebody cracked a cold one.  As a result, I got to know the person behind the cold one.  I think I’ve gained some new friends in this way that would otherwise just be sitting wondering why the longhaired guy just left. 

I still have the urge to leave if an asshole shows up, but I also know that nobody else wants them there either.  We’re all just too polite to tell them to go the hell back to whatever asshole place they came from. 

It is six o’clock in the AM on Wednesday, April 8th, and I bid you all a good night.  The Mighty is off for two days, and he plans to make the most of them.