Liberation Day
This is a cliché.
On March 17, 1999, I was getting ready to go to the Campus Church, and I was dreading it. I had already decided not to go to the Grape Church
anymore, but I hadn't given up on all Evangelical churches... yet.
But I started to think about why I hadn't. Why was I going to these churches and trying to be a part of them if I clearly had different beliefs. I couldn't authentically participate in the activities they held, and at the same time, I couldn't protest the activities without looking like either a backslider, a troublemaker or both.
So then I decided to stop. Stop trying to be an Evangelical. I had been thinking about it for a while, thinking that this was my last chance to figure out a way to fit in there. And on March 17, 1999, I realized the chance was over.
George Michael's "Freedom" was on Much Music as I got ready to go to the Campus Church for the last time.
Afterwards, I sat on the sunny deck of the grad house bar with some classmates and discussed my decision, and my intention to get drunk that night. We also discussed the role of secrecy in society and whether religion was really "the opiate of the masses" or whether there was something more to it.
We discussed this, of course, over beer.
Through the course of the night, I drank more beer than I ever had before. Eventually, I couldn't taste it anymore. But I was happy.
This was the first time I had intentionally gotten drunk.
I also picked up. Unfortunately, I was too drunk to notice.
I went home with a very sexy, very available classmate, but I was so drunk, that when she kissed me, all I could do was smile dumbly at her. It didn't occur to me until the next morning that she was interested in more than a goodnight kiss.
I spent the next two days nursing my hangover, and other than that, feeling pretty damn good about being Evangelical-free.
On March 17, 1999, I was getting ready to go to the Campus Church, and I was dreading it. I had already decided not to go to the Grape Church
anymore, but I hadn't given up on all Evangelical churches... yet.
But I started to think about why I hadn't. Why was I going to these churches and trying to be a part of them if I clearly had different beliefs. I couldn't authentically participate in the activities they held, and at the same time, I couldn't protest the activities without looking like either a backslider, a troublemaker or both.
So then I decided to stop. Stop trying to be an Evangelical. I had been thinking about it for a while, thinking that this was my last chance to figure out a way to fit in there. And on March 17, 1999, I realized the chance was over.
George Michael's "Freedom" was on Much Music as I got ready to go to the Campus Church for the last time.
Afterwards, I sat on the sunny deck of the grad house bar with some classmates and discussed my decision, and my intention to get drunk that night. We also discussed the role of secrecy in society and whether religion was really "the opiate of the masses" or whether there was something more to it.
We discussed this, of course, over beer.
Through the course of the night, I drank more beer than I ever had before. Eventually, I couldn't taste it anymore. But I was happy.
This was the first time I had intentionally gotten drunk.
I also picked up. Unfortunately, I was too drunk to notice.
I went home with a very sexy, very available classmate, but I was so drunk, that when she kissed me, all I could do was smile dumbly at her. It didn't occur to me until the next morning that she was interested in more than a goodnight kiss.
I spent the next two days nursing my hangover, and other than that, feeling pretty damn good about being Evangelical-free.
posted by deadwriter at 9:26 p.m.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home