We screamed, we kicked, we wrenched our bodies in frustration, cursed each other and ourselves ' then we heard the inevitable knock.
It was the knock of someone not invited to the party; it was that raspy tap of an authority figure warning us to hide our Solo cups and slowly turn down the radio. The host opened the door, calmly explaining that, despite the discordance, we weren't actually drinking. It was reassuring that someone took time to control some rowdy Mad Gab revelers, as opposed to say, protecting people from real crime.
Well, honestly we weren't yelling because we were drinking. It was Pictionary passion. The fury was over bears looking like sea horses (mine) and an unbelievable telepathy on the team next to me (i.e., a squiggle and a circle and someone recognizes tighten your belt).
Let me say that I am not one to give much credibility to sober events. People organizing gatherings with non-drinking slogans strike me as socially inept and awkward ' like they're trying too hard to reconcile their stringent morals with the Rum and Coke reality. These are the people who play beer pong with water and constantly make jokes about getting drunk off 7-Up. It angers me because I don't show up to their Bible studies with a flask and start making jokes about stumbling through the pearly gates.
Now for a message from your university counselor: But Justin, certainly students can have fun without drinking (I imagine President Roderick McDavis saying this to me in debate format, smiling to a sea of parents who, of course, rise and give him a standing ovation). I agree that non-alcoholic fun is possible, but I suggest keeping Yahtzee or Uno around for the unavoidable 2 a.m. lull when reruns of Law and Order: Traffic Violation can't fight off the drowsiness.
Something about pulling out the rules and the Ziploc bags of pieces is reassuring. After playing games for something like 7 hours, I had rekindled my love for fun in colorful box form. Our collective innocence is too easily lost, our naivety too easily dashed away by real life pain, but as the 10 or so of us sat cross-legged on the carpet and leaning off couches, it felt like we had gained a little bit back.
Not everyone smiled and laughed that night. Some seemed possessed by an overly competitive spirit, including one person who considered leaving after jumping and screaming about drawing disappointments.
Others pulled back from the excitement, scanning the rules for some loophole. Every event has watchers ' people who feel uncomfortable with confrontation and take in the actions in a mysterious, indirect fashion instead of placing themselves and their focus on the present.
It probably sounds nerdy to enjoy board games this much. Then again, the cops did come and as everyone knows, no party is good without at least one visit from them.
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Justin Thompson
