I'm No Party Animal

Illustration by Gordon Studer

Considering the possibility of another visit to Haiti sometime in the distant future, I've been doing some reading and recently came across a description of a certain street carnival that sounded like it might be fun, until the very last line that promised the festive proceedings would eventually evolve into "a rum-soaked evening where everyone parties til dawn."  Hmm, maybe not such fun after all, at least not to me. While I like a good party, I have never been prone to partying, be it til dawn, dusk, mid-morning or whenever.

It all got me wondering what the word even means, so I looked it up and found that the verb to party means, "to enjoy oneself thoroughly and without restraint; indulge in pleasure." Aha! No wonder. Indulgence is certainly not something I engage in publicly, but rather in the privacy of my own home, either alone or with a chosen few. What's more, I certainly don't want to be around total strangers abandoning all restraint--think The Who concert--which is why I've never made it to Mardi Gras, although I do like New Orleans. As for the rum-soaking, that's also a no, although a substitution beverage can help me unwind enough to hang around for a little while.

I don't know how or why I'm no party animal, but here I be and I won't apologize. As the late, great Janis Joplin said sometime before she overdosed on booze and pills, "Never compromise yourself--you're all you've got."