Hello journal! Our parents all teach us basic lessons as we grow up. They all try to give us the rules and guidelines for the world so that we can go out into society and be a good member of it. I am not sure this story is exactly what mom and dad meant when teaching me but I am going to go that route. The lesson I am speaking of is sharing. I remember being the older sister and having my stuff and watching my younger sister get into it. My mom and dad would come in shaking that finger and tell us both to knock it off and share or neither of us was going to have it. I am sure this was common for anyone having a sibling.
Fast forward past arguing with my sister over toys and I am in college living in a two-bedroom apartment with my cousin. We have grown up together, get along well and we both like to party so it was a good match.
At least once a week both of us made our way out to a place called Mike's. It was a large house out of town on private land. Mike's was not an original name by any means but if you told someone you were going to Mike's they knew what you were talking about. Mike's was great because you could go out there and be as loud as you wanted and no one was around to hear. You could get stupid drunk and just wander upstairs to the bedroom to sleep it off. You might have to share a bed depending on how many people had made that choice. If you did not fancy that then you could go out, sleep in your vehicle, and not be bothered.
Mike's had simple rules to follow. You did not show up empty handed if you planned to drink. You brought a bottle or a six-pack and you were golden. You did not destroy the house. You could get silly but no holes in the walls. If you wanted to fight, take it outside. No firearms allowed. Drunk people and guns do not mix and make for good results. Stay off the planes. Mike had a small collection of single engine planes for some reason but you did not mess with them. Other than that, you used some common sense and you were golden.
Both my cousin and I had met Mike through her brother. They had worked together and started to party together so we had some O.G. status. Mike and his fiancΓ© had bought the house in hopes of starting their future together. Sadly, they fought a ton when together but they did love to party together so the house had become a huge party spot going on almost every night. I am sure there was a huge unhealthy mental element to Mike and his fiancΓ© but at the time, we were all about the party.