The Big Night Out

It was in the not-too-distant past that the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving was THE night out for those of us who enjoy a raucous evening out at the pub.  Bellying up to the bar with good friends all around.  The harmonious tinkle of ice cubes as they tumble into a cocktail glass, just waiting for for some fine Scotch or Irish Whiskey or Bourbon.  A beautifully poured Guinness served at just the right temperature.  College basketball on the telly, good tunes on the jukebox and lots of laughs all around.

I guess it all started in college.  We would finish up our pre-break exams and head home for a long holiday weekend.  The bars at home usually would have a liberal policy toward those of us who were underage at the time.  It was a far, far simpler time and place. Bars packed with college and high-school aged kids all looking for a good time or some courage for the next day's sit-down with the extended family.  Maybe you got to see some of your old high-school friends.  Maybe you would hang with your new friends.  But the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving was something that you would look forward to.  A bold and epic night out on the town.

Then as we grow older, the importance of the night diminishes in a steady declining arc.  We no longer have to sneak into bars, in fact we would hold it as a badge of honor that we could get into any joint we wanted to get into on any given night.  But Wednesday night before Thanksgiving was still pretty special for a time.  Maybe we make sure to have a glass or two of water along the way.  Maybe we make sure we would have a designated driver, cab or drunken stumble home.  We weren't kids anymore.

And then the years pass and the night suddenly loses all of it's former glamour.  It finally happened for me a few years ago.  I just grew tired of my favorite watering hole being overrun by children half my age for one awful night.  And there comes a time when those of us well-versed in the language of the pub begin to refer to nights like this one as "Amateur Night".  New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day are also fine examples of "Amateur Night".  Those of us who have earned our professional standing in the sport of drinking eschew these nights out all together.  A quiet night at home or a small gathering with friends is the preferred event.

I just wonder when it was that I got so old that a night out at the pub seems more like a chore than a good time.

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