Well I Guess This is Growing Up

I went to a Christmas party hosted by a New York friend of mine last weekend. My girlfriend joined me, as did both of my roommates and several other people that constitute my “group” here in the Big Apple. I’ve met all of them through my roommate, Tyler, who met them through his affiliation with Teach for America.

It didn’t strike me as odd at the time, but thinking back it does seem a little strange that peers of mine threw, and I attended, an “adult” Christmas party (i.e. there weren’t any kegs and we didn’t play beer pong). The host made a really good ham and grilled potatoes, and someone else had brought salad and crackers with cheese. My girlfriend and I provided chips and salsa. We made sure to buy a really good brand without telling anyone that we hadn’t made it from scratch. It was a hit.

Gone are the days when I was forced to attend my parents’ friends’ Christmas parties wearing ridiculous holiday sweaters. I have awkward memories of being forced to socialize with unlikable children, and I remember always being relieved when we would leave.

But now my age group, like our parents before us, is slowly starting to throw and attend our own Christmas parties. It’s ridiculously strange to think that some day soon, my friends and I will be hauling our own unenthusiastic children to awkwardly socialize with one another. I’m getting older, I can feel it.