Truths From a Sober Trojan (FAQ)
By: Joy Ofodu ‘18
I have delayed writing this for at least two years for fear of doing it wrong; I don’t want my relayed sobriety experience to be pedantic or preachy, or stuffy, or polished or dishonest. Having survived another 4/20 in Los Angeles, it seems High Time to publicly answer questions that have plagued and amused me since I made the decision that I’d go through college without a drop of alcohol (or any other substance, for that matter).
Is it religious?
This is always the first question I get. Nope. I don’t think there’s anything in the Bible that says don’t drink, though something about the stubborn nature of my commitment to myself compels me to skip even a harmless Communion. I figured that to do this, I’d have to go all in.
What do those bracelets on your hands say? Why are you always wearing them?
“LIVESOBER” - I discovered this clothing brand, Sober Is Sexy, in high school. Demi Lovato and Russell Brand were wearing ‘The Only Coke I Do is Diet’ shirts in my favorite teeny bopper magazine, and I wanted in! The idea of drug-free fashion or a drug-free lifestyle appealed to me, and remembering what I did from D.A.R.E. and other juvenile programs, staying drug and alcohol-free seemed like the “right thing to do.” Wearing the bracelets reminds me of that promise, and is an excellent conversation-starter.
So you’ve really never had a drink?
Nope. Not even a sip.
What about weed?
I get this question a lot, too! That’s a parenthetical I’m proud to keep closed.
Has anyone at USC ever tried to get you to drink?
My freshman year floormates were initially fascinated by my sobriety - most couldn’t imagine why I had made such a bizarre choice. I didn’t blame them. I was also grateful that they never physically pushed me to join them in drinking – there was heavy encouragement every once in awhile from fans of the practice, but my peers always respected a verbal, “No thanks,” or “I’ll come along, but I won’t be pre-gaming with you! I’m working on this Sprite.”
So do you just not go out?
I’m out every weekend! Believe it or not, it’s easy to have a killer time sober around here (which, for me, is all the time). There’s a concert or movie premiere or screening in LA almost every night. If that’s too tame for you, know that you can still turn up at your friends’ house parties on the regular while sober. I still act wild. I still hop in Snaps and start freestyling in cyphers. I dance to live D.J. sets until I can’t feel my legs, and then I get to frUber home with every memory. Plus, it pays forward to be able to see my friends home safely.
But I could have sworn you were lit at [insert off-campus function here]!
[Laughs darkly to self] No, I wasn’t lit. I’m just always on. I exude the same amount of wild energy during a “Bless the Bottle” dance circle as I do during a 10:30 AM Admissions tour. I think some people drink socially to ease the nerves, but all I need is a dark room full of people & soul-shattering bass, and I’m set. I’m sober at every given moment and that isn’t likely to change soon.
Will you drink when you’re 21?
I might. What started as a hard ‘never’ has evolved into a ‘not right now.’ If I ever decide to drink, it’ll definitely be after I’m ‘legal’. I want to be able to bump into Justin Bieber at the 9-0 with a clear conscience, just like everyone else.
Is it a control thing?
What do you mean?
Are you afraid to relinquish the current control you hold over your brain and body in their natural state?
Ok, this one really got me. Fear could have something to do with it. Throughout my life, I’ve enjoyed this unending state of mental clarity – At night, I know how to get to the party & back home before 2AM. I know who to dial when my friends don’t feel well. I know who I really think is fine, and I know who I can trust. I know that how I feel is how I really feel. Call me a coward, but why would I ever give that up?
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