Why I miss being 21!

I'm not that far removed...only by ten years anyway. HOWEVER, sometimes when I see the excitement and energy a newly turned 21-year-old exerts about "going out to ALL the bars" - it makes me reflect on Purdue (Harry's Chocolate Shop, Jake's, the Cactus, Rheile Brothers, Boiler Room, Where Else, etc).

I was working the fitting room tonight at ON and a very bubbly 21-year-old came in and asked if she could try on "like, only 5 things". Yeah, sure - have at it. So she tries on whatever she took in and came out and asked me, "can I get your opinion?". I like this question - only because I generally don't care what people wear - it's THEIR clothing!

Anyway, she goes on to tell me how she bought this "totally cute" new jacket earlier in the day and how she had been to Marshall's, Kohl's and Target and "totally knew" she should have come to Old Navy first. I didn't care for any of the shirts she had chosen, and showed her some really plain tank tops and also a few new dressier short sleeved shirts to go under the jacket. She was overly joyous about all of them, and explained about 100 reasons why she needed a light weight shirt under her jacket. Some of her "valid" arguments:

-Boys spill drinks at the bar, so she would be removing her jacket to prevent booze stains on it.
-It gets "sooooooooooooooooo hotttttttttt" and no way would she want to sweat like a pig with her new jacket on.

She also at some point decided against white. "Valid" arguments:
-Boys spill drinks at the bar, and if they spill on a white shirt, she will look like she entered a wet tshirt contest.
-If a black light happens to be on while she's on the dance floor, she would totally stick out. It's bad enough she uses white strips and her teeth glow...but her shirt too? No way.
-What if she drops her late night taco or burrito down the front? Totally uncool.

She also decided against anything with frills/lace. "Valid" arguments:
-Well, "I mean seriously" she's not going to church!!!
-She would look like her grandma's curtains.

She entertained me for a good 20 minutes. I learned she had just lost 30 pounds and had lived under baggy clothes for a majority of her life. Her favorite bracelet was multi-colored. Her favorite subject was English. Broad Ripple rocks, in her opinion. She loves skeletons, and not because of Halloween, but just because they are cool.

I miss being 21. I miss entertaining people who actually have to work for a living and aren't at clothing stores for fun. I miss worrying about spilling a late night drunken treat on my clothes (we always got Jimmy Johns or Mad Mushroom pizza). I miss having a drink or two spilled on me, or spilling a drink or two on someone. I miss late night walks home from the bars, only to be discussing tomorrow nights plans...

I probably wouldn't trade my current world for anything...but it sure is fun to remember the carefree days!!!