Halloween leaves scary lessons

Ed Villareal
Daily Egyptian

Halloween is my favorite time of year. I love dressing up like an idiot and having a cocktail or six too many.

The only thing more interesting than a Halloween night is the following day. Much of my time is spent calling people to find out what exactly happened and/or apologize for anything I did the night before. This year was no exception.

First, I would like to thank the greatest bartender in town, Melissa, for taking care of us. I know 151 and Cokes aren't hard to make, but I just appreciate you making them for me.

I would also like to apologize to a couple people. Unfortunately, my Jack Tripper shorts ripped early in the night while I was dancing. This left a clear view of my boxer-briefs from behind. I should have known better than to later prop my leg up on the bar. A couple people got a little extra show for your money when I inadvertently popped out of my costume. Oops.

I do owe my costume-mates a bit of an apology as well. We meant to go as the cast of "Three's Company." After a few too many, I kind of wandered off on my own. Without staying together, we ended up looking like a farm girl, Liza Minelli and a big Hispanic guy in knee-high tube socks and torn short shorts.

It's this kind of craziness that I love about Halloween, though. The energy is high, glasses are full and the sexual tension is thick. But all of these factors combined can make for disastrous outcomes, and I don≠t mean the kind like accidental exposure.

How many people got drunk Friday? How many of you ended up having sex that night? And how many of you had protection readily available that night?

Hey, I know exactly what it≠s like to wake up and find yourself thinking, "What in the name of all that≠s holy happened last night?" And I know better than to tell you all to know your limits and make sure you know when to say when. You're going to do whatever you want. But I will ask you to be prepared.

Pills don't always stop pregnancy, and they certainly don't help against STDs. Condoms are not a guarantee either, but hey, it's a lot better than nothing. So, use them.

"But, Ed, I had no idea anything was going to happen. It just did. The beer tricked me."

Yeah, been there. That is why we should help each other out. Let≠s make sure protection is around to be used. I≠ve been to every bar in Carbondale and have only seen free condoms sitting out at one. If they're at the rest of the bars, they must not be too easy to find since my friends and I haven't seen them.

The same thing goes for the big, hopping house parties. You ever have to sit with a good friend during an AIDS scare or drive them to an abortion clinic? It's really not a good time, trust me.

The fact is there are a whole lot of drinks in this town. If the bars and the parties keep making them, we≠ll keep drinking them. Yes, we are responsible for our own actions, but sometimes the booze makes the whole thought process flake out. Do something good for your guests. Put out some condoms. If they don't use them, at least you gave them an option. They can take care of the consequences.

Oh, and maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep a sewing kit on hand.

How about no appears Tuesday. Ed is a junior in speech pathology. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.

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