Clubbing

I started this post way back not really sure where I was going with it. I saved it as a draft and figured I’d deal with it later if I ever had an idea of what I was going to do with it.  Then today I got my Alumni newsletter  e-mail and it was clear to me.

Back in the day my friend and I would drive into the city, to some trendy neighborhood, and hang out at clubs and bars. I was never really sure how I got to these places, driving in circles looking for parking, never really knowing street names or exits. We had a handful of places we’d go each weekend, sometimes week nights depending on what was going on, and we’d have a blast. I always drove and I was always a responsible driver. I thought all of these places had shut down or changed names and I’d never see or pass them again.

Photo by Tammy Green

A couple of weeks ago while wandering around the city, I turned a corner and there was a night club I had a “VIP Pass” for back in the day, NEO. I think the pass got me some kind of discount on drinks, or maybe I didn’t have to pay a cover charge I don’t really remember.  I loved the music they played at Neo. The atmosphere was rather lacking though, it was dark and the door was hidden down an alley. It was crazy loud and impossible to talk to people, much less order a drink from the bartender. The crowd was mostly goth and they didn’t seem too terribly welcoming. Kinda like the hipsters of today. But going there was SO MUCH BETTER than hanging out at any of the places in the suburbs. I may have been the only one in jeans and a sweatshirt, but at least I wasn’t one of the only two people in the entire place.

Photo by Tammy Green

Seeing Neo reminded me of how I felt 18 years ago when I was hanging out at these places.  I thought it’d be  totally cool if I lived “downtown” and  I wanted so badly to have a place of my own. I dreamed about going out every night and hanging out and meeting people and DOING STUFF. Plus, if I lived in the city, I wouldn’t have worry about driving all the way back to the suburbs and how late it would be when I got home. The nights always felt like they ended too early because of the drive back out to the suburbs. Living in the city would mean that I could walk or take a bus and I could stay out later. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to waste time finding a parking spot or worrying about getting towed.

My alumni newsletter tells me of an event at Neo. They’re doing an 80s New Wave night as a fundraiser for a scholarship. Although I was too young to legally go to this club in the 80s, that’s what I’d love to go hear at that club. Naturally, the event is on a Thursday night. But the beauty of being self-employed means I can party all night on Thursday and arrange any work on Friday until later in the day when I’ve recovered from the night before.