Club Night, One of the Reasons I Love Life

Alright so picture it, the room is absolutely packed - wall to wall people; and it’s taken fifteen minutes just to get a spot at the bar. Not that it’s done any good anyway, because the bartender seems to have you on the “pay no mind” list. The asshole next to you is way too far into your personal space, and some inconsiderate bag of shit nearby has just lit up a cigarette, despite the fact that it’s illegal and the club has an outdoor smoking area. The music’s way too loud for such a small place, and the DJ keeps talking over the songs to shout himself out. Overall, it’s just a sweaty, uncomfortable, annoying situation, but you know what? Even if that perfect storm of a horrible club experience really happened, I’d probably love every minute of it. Club night really is one of the reasons I love life.

Over the past five years or so, I’ve watched as most of my friends my age have settled down, gotten married and in some cases had kids. And to be honest, I couldn’t be happier for them. That’s the next step. The logical step. The step you’re supposed to take. But it’s not the right step for me, not yet anyway, because over that same period of time, my love of the nightlife has not only stayed at the same level as it was very first time I ever went out, it’s grown exponentially. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately, and I have to conclude that going out at, umm… my age, is way more fun than it was at Twenty-one, or even Twenty-Five. Obviously having more money now than I did then helps, but that’s not really it. Or not all of it anyway, I’m not gonna lie, being able to pop a bottle in the VIP is a lot of fun every once in awhile. But truth be told, I’m in love with every aspect of a night out at the club. Looking forward to getting dressed up, meeting new people, talking to girls, dancing, drinking and chilling with friends are the things that keep me from wanting to cut my wrists every Monday morning. These things are the reason that, especially in the summer, I go into party robot mode and try my best to get out and mingle at least three or four nights a week. In fact the only thing keeping me from starting every weekend on Wednesday night are the limits of my own human endurance. Unfortunately, going out at night and getting up at 5:30 every morning to hit the gym aren’t exactly compatible. But, a physically and mentally exhausted next day at the office is somehow worth it if I get to spend a few extra hours chillin at the club the night before. Big shout to my man Lou by the way – whether Louie Vegas is behind the bar or with me in front of it, it doesn’t seem to matter. Somehow Lou either brings the party with him, or it seeks him out, and the end result is almost always a night to remember. Thanks for that, brother!

Sometimes I worry that I’m addicted to this whole nightlife thing. I mean, I literally could spend hours at the club, sometimes even by myself, just watching people (and also usually making fun of them) – whether it be (to steal a line from Jagged Edge) “the girls in the club in their best outfits, just showin’ that skin, tryin’ to make a nigga wanna spend”; or the guys tryin their best lines out on those girls. Watching them succeed or get shot down. Good dancers, bad dancers, everyone in between, all there to celebrate life and have a good time, these are among my favorite things in the world. Maybe that’s a bad thing, maybe I should have other priorities, but right now I don’t care. I’m having way too much fun - and while I do acknowledge that I’ve been doing the nightlife thing for a lot longer than I have left to do it, to me that just makes it all the more important to make every one of those nights out count, especially because I don’t have that much time left. I may love this whole thing, but I am NOT gonna be that guy at Glo with the 70’s moustache. You know who I mean, he used to always be at Posh and Mirage, gotta be in his 50’s... Yeah, that guy’s still goin out. But I definitely still got a good year or two left in me before I gotta worry about being him, so I’m gonna take advantage. And so should you! Come party with US!