How often do you see a bunch of college students dancing in front of each other like they would in their room when no one was watching? Not often.

Last night I went to an atypical 21st birthday party, which was much more fun than the normal type. A "normal" 21st birthday party involves pre-gaming (i.e. drinking at home) in someone's house or apartment, leaving before midnight, and appearing at one of the bars that allows the "Power Hour." This is when the birthday guy/girl has two hours to drink as much as s/he can. S/he doesn't pay and drinks everything that is handed his/her way. Sometimes this involves 21 shots in an hour, which can kill. I have personally never seen this. After drinking so much, the birthday kid normally throws up and has a huge hangover the next day. Not so with the party that I went to last night.

Alex is my friend who completely disregards what society deems "you should be like." Her house is covered in paintings, pictures, posters, and art, most of which she has made herself. Her bathroom scale does not even have the numbers: they have been replaced with stickers that say "You are beautiful." It is so refreshing! Since when does a specific weight signify beauty anyway?

The music was Alex's pic and it was music that one normally doesn't hear at parties or bars these days. She and her friends, myself included, danced without inhibitions and we all appeared to be dancing like kids again. In the bars, one does not dance like this for fear of looking stupid, being teased, or, God forbid, not finding a guy/girl to get a number that you will never call. Instead, the people at the bars dance artificially, as if performing a show. One would think that alcohol lowers one's inhibitions, but that does not mean that superficiality is not there. Contrary to all of this, seeing all of my friends dance as they would, not taking social norms into consideration, was entirely refreshing. They were honestly having fun, experiencing joy, and that, in turn, made me happy. And at midnight, instead of going to the bars, we all wished Alex happy birthday, sang, and ate a slice of ladybug cake, homemade and delicious. It was a low-key party, but one consisting of good friends who all had a good time.

The best part is that Alex will enjoy her birthday today without a hangover.

My point is that many people in American society today are superficial even when they don't know it. Getting ready to go out to the bars usually entails wearing clothes and make-up that is not normal or, sometimes, comfortable. They dance in a way that is not natural, but socially acceptable. And people meet others, but the bond is superficial because how can you really get to know someone when you're drunk? Americans are superficial for so much of the time that I wonder if they remember who they are. We should all work on being comfortable with ourselves. When that is obvious to the world, it will not look stupid; on the contrary, it will be refreshing and make others happy.