New Years Peer Pressure

Paul Watson

What is with this peer pressure, go big, one upmanship crap that gets ladelled over us during New Years Eve like good Ultramel over a plumb souflee? The just passed New Years Eve was one of my best, and yet it was one of the sanest, quitest and least huge NYEs I have ever had. No arranged party of getting horribly drunk or being the coolest or anything. Just having a good time and not worrying. It was great. Yet if I still had friends who judged me on my jeans label they would thought it was totally lame and that I was some looser. What the frik is with that? Why is it such a competition to have the biggest, baddest, most wicked NYE bash out? And it is not a case of just aiming to have a good time... it is a case of aiming to be seen to be having a better time than the others. I wish people could just be happy with themselves. I really do.

Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa

Paul Watson wrote: "The Labia [cinema]... ...was opened by Princess Labia in May 1949..." Christian Graus wrote: See, I told you it was a nice name for a girl...

Paul Riley

Well said. We spent years going to the only damn party of any size around our village (too expensive to taxi anywhere else). Every year, start well, get drunk, get depressed that we're spending the whole night talking about how cheap someone found bacon at such-and-such a store, go out for a walk, get into a fight trying to get back in, sing Auld Lang Syne, get drunk to the point of sickness, lean against a wall outside wondering where my life went wrong, how another year slipped by without anything exciting happening. For the last three years, we've stayed in and watched DVDs all night. Great fun, no fights, no hangover. Sorted. Getting old and sad? Maybe but I'm not complaining. Paul Pleasently caving in, I come undone - Queens of the Stone Age, No One Knows

Shog9 0

Paul Watson wrote: I wish people could just be happy with themselves. I really do. Oh yeah? Well i wish for world peace, an end to hunger, and $0.29 cheeseburgers all day, everyday. Top *that*, ya fuckin' hippy... *cough* erm, actually, i agree... as i've mentioned elsewhere, this was one of the best NY celebrations i've remembered, and nothing much happened. :)

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Shog9 The siren sings a lonely song - of all the wants and hungers The lust of love a brute desire - the ledge of life goes under

brianwelsch

It's become less of an event for me and my friends as well. Still a reason to get together, but not a reason to outdo anyone, or care if we were outdone. (whatever that actually means) Paul Watson wrote: I wish people could just be happy with themselves. I was thinking a little about this today. Regarding people lying to cover up something they've done and are embarrassed about or ashamed or whatever. Life is actually more exciting and fun if you force yourself to face the truth, and just deal with yourself as you are, or fix what you dislike. BW "Gandalf. Yes. That is what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. *I* am Gandalf the White." - Gandalf the White

Paul Watson

Shog9 wrote: Oh yeah? Well i wish for world peace, an end to hunger, and $0.29 cheeseburgers all day, everyday. Top *that*, ya f***in' hippy... Oh yeah? Well i wish you would get in touch with your mother earth nature side and transcend to the blissful tree hugging state of the future... Top *that*, ya fuckin' capitalist :rolleyes: Shog9 wrote: this was one of the best NY celebrations i've remembered, and nothing much happened Yeah. So strange that.

Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa

Paul Watson wrote: "The Labia [cinema]... ...was opened by Princess Labia in May 1949..." Christian Graus wrote: See, I told you it was a nice name for a girl...

SimonS

Right on. I wasn't about to spend new year's in Plett for precisely that sought of reason. Having said that, being at the coast did remind me that being "cool" really only comes down to wearing a cool surfer t-shirt and not on the amount of money you have or which of your cars you happened to be driving this week. :cool: Cheers, Simon "The day I swan around in expensive suits is the day I hope someone puts a bullet in my head.", Chris Carter.
my svg article

Lost User

Perhaps thats why Christmas means a lot to me but New Year doesn't........... The tigress is here :-D

Gary R Wheeler

Adulthood (n.): That state of having reached an age at which you no longer give a flying f*** what everybody else thinks, and a 'good time' is defined by how good it made you feel.

Software Zen: delete this;

benjymous

This (last?) year's new year was the first time I've ever had a friends thing rather than a family thing - me and my housemate had a small group of friends come visit for a few days (people we know through the internet - sad eh?) but we had a thoroughly fun time. Nothing stupid happened due to people drinking too much, there weren't any arguments, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Most of the time was just spent sat about drinking, eating and watching DVDs, but that's much preferable to being at a huge party (or stuck with bored relatives who'd rather be in bed) Oh, and I got one of those magnetic poetry kits for Christmas, so there was much amusement for all when the 9 year old daughter of one of the visitor's noticed one of the messages on the fridge that read "Would you like to see my puppies" and asked, quite loudly, "Who's got puppies? Can I see them?" - needless to say nobody felt like explaining to her what it really meant :| -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!