Have Fun Going to Night Clubs and Being Sensible About It

Going to night clubs has gotten a bad reputation through the years, but not everyone who goes to them are drunken party animals. The latest hot spots can be great places to get together with friends, meet other single people and socialize. It's all about controlling yourself and being moderate about drinking if you want to remember what happened the next day.

When my friends and I used to go nightclubbing, we'd meet at a restaurant in downtown Cleveland, a central spot for all of us. After a light dinner, we'd go to our favorite club, a popular night spot that looked like a bombed out World War II European shelter (the place was appropriately nicknamed "Bomber") that had war-era Jeeps and old airplanes strategically placed around the property. I knew about this place because my ex-fiance used to meet his friends there. Everyone liked going there just to hang out. It wasn't sinister, just a friendly meeting spot to dance, watch people, talk to the "regulars" who came every week, and listen to popular music.

Going to Bomber was exercise, since we usually danced to every song. We dressed up, and wore high heels. By the end of the night, my feet would ache badly but it was OK, since it was all about looking good in those heels. Dances back then were stuff like the Electric Slide, slow dances and laid back regular dancing. This was before the dances became overly sexual. Things are quite different now, from what I've been told. But back then, we'd go out to breakfast at Perkins' Pancake House after the club closed. It was good, clean fun. If we planned to have a few drinks, we'd choose a designated driver. The most hazardous thing I remember seeing in the club was some drunk woman who came up to me and for no reason tried to pick a fight with my friend and I. We just blew her off, as the bouncer threw her out for being disorderly. We never met her before, and never saw her again. Drunk people sure do stupid things.

Through the years, my friends and I would drop away from meeting at our club, when we were in long-term relationships, but come back later when the relationship ended. I tired of the club scene in my late twenties. It was time to grow up and change direction. What did it for me was when some guy who wouldn't take "no" for an answer (but was initially nice) slipped a date-rape drug into my drink, and I spent the next hour in the bathroom before having to go home. The punk slipped off in the crowd and was never caught, while I had to be carried to the car by a large male friend of mine. I was sick for a week. My friend Linda and I had never met someone who would do something like drug drinks. Being cautious is probably a "given" nowadays. We were very naiive. That was enough for me, clubbing was no longer carefree anymore.

Seeing these young starlets and celebutantes do drugs, throw themselves at every man they meet and go without wearing underwear shows that things have changed a lot since our decade of going dancing for fun. It's a shame that young people have to worry about dangers of people drugging their drinks or worse these days. Our carefree era has passed and responsibility has taken over our lives, but those good old days were sure fun while they lasted. In time, these young people of today will grow and look back on their days on the town together in a fond way, too. We take our lives for granted, especially when young. We feel invincible, and attractive as we flirt, chat and have fun with friends, with endless energy. It sure would be great to have some more of that energy now but I have no interest in pulling "all-nighters" anymore. If my friends want to go out to breakfast these days, we do it during normal morning hours.

Now, in my forties, socializing is more mellow. I have no urge to go to nightclubs anymore, because it was a temporary diversion but nothing more. My friends and I have grown up, moved on and settled down. Seeing how many famous young women are now ending up in jail or rehab due to their clubbing exploits, I'm glad that none of us ever drank and drove, or did drugs. We knew better, due to our parents instilling certain values in us. Hopefully, these misguided young women will learn that being cute, wearing pretty clothes and flirting isn't everything. We all age. The smug and shallow party girl today will become a mother and/or a professional with responsibilites later. Many of us mature emotionally without getting "old" and move on to more important matters in life. Physical aging is unavoidable. If you try to push it away with plastic surgery too much, you'll begin to look like you're stuck in a wind tunnel. Enjoy the beauty of youth but stay down-to-earth, or your friends will fade away with the looks later on.

Being too caught up on looks gets really tiresome to everyone after awhile. Just ask Paris Hilton. Beauty is, as beauty does. Life is so much more than partying and looking in the mirror. To make a difference in the world, we need to put our focus on more important matters and use the partying for the downtime, but in moderation. Partying is not a career that lasts forever unless you're maybe Hugh Hefner. He made it work for him, but most people haven't. It's all about priorities, being responsible and intelligent about life choices.