The So-Called Jim Morrison Days

 Many a post on this blog will reference “the Jim Morrison days.” Some of you know doubt have never heard of Jim Morrison. Those of you who have, know exactly what I’m talking about.  Morrison was a front man for a 1960s band called the Doors. Everything about him oozed rebellion and sex. No quote couldn’t ever hope to capture what it was to be Jim Morrison, but this one comes as close as any:

…Alright! Alright! Alright!
Hey, listen! Listen! Listen, man! listen, man!
I don’t know how many you people believe in astrology…
Yeah, that’s right‑that’s right, baby.
I am a Sagittarius. The most philosophical of all the signs.
But anyway, I don’t believe in it.
I think it’s a bunch of bullshit.
But I tell you this, man, I tell you this.
I don’t know what’s gonna happen, man.
But I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames!

As Morrison spews forth his thoughts during this live concert, the audience is enraptured. You really can’t hear any noise except for female members of the audience calling out Jim’s name. “I’m a Sagittarius, too, Jim,” says one. “I don’t believe in astrology either,” says another. Meanwhile, it’s clear the singer has been drinking and heavily so. Everyone is on the edge of their seats in excitement because no one knows what Morrison will do next. They are all waiting to get their “kicks” along with Jim, and if the shithouse goes up in flames, well, so be it.

This basically describes my life as a college and law student. The BS flowed freely, as did the alcohol and sex. Keep in mind, I somehow managed to do well academically at both schools. But clearly Jim Morrison was my inspiration, or at least my kindred spirit, when it came to having fun. My two best friends weren’t afraid to tell me that the main reason they hung out with me was to see what happened next. A long-time girlfriend told me that she understood why I listened to the Doors so religiously.

At the same time, those of us who remember Morrison, also remember that his life was cut short due to excess.

That wasn’t going to happen to me.

Once I graduated from law school, I cleaned up my act. I started running and working out, and slowly but surely over the next 20 years, I made my body a temple of health. This is relevant because many single women at my age are now trying to relive their own “Jim Morrison days.” I have no interest. The best feeling in the world to me is when I wake up with a clear head. The next best feeling is when I get home, walk in the door, and my kids and dog all run toward me.

This is my new high, and I have no intention of going back to my old highs.

Sounds good, right? Not when a decent chunk of the people you meet online still want to go to a bar on a first date and get drunk. It doesn’t matter if they are 53, 43, or 33. You can tell from their profile that drinking is a central part of their lives. Next to the words “alcohol consumption” you see adjectives such as "regularly," "often," and "liberally." I read these profiles and quickly move on. The problem is when they contact me and I’m not interested in meeting.

“What?”

“You think you are too good for me?”

Of course, that’s not it at all.

My long-term goal is to age gracefully, and be there for my kids’ graduations (plural, as in high school, college, and beyond). Going out and getting drunk or dating someone who likes to go out and get drunk isn’t going to help me reach that objective.

I still love Jim Morrison, and fondly recall my college and law school days.

It doesn’t mean I need to relive them to appreciate them.