Kelly

I went to a party the other night (don't get excited is work mi working 'cause I have no life).

Anyway, the invite said 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Of course, when I got there at about 9:40, I was in a group of 10 and the security guards. Slowly but surely more patrons came after 10, then 11 and by 12, we had a fairly good crowd. But even at 1:15 a.m. when yours truly decided to call it a night, er, morning, there were still patrons just coming in.

Short parties

Now dependent on the mood the police is in, that party is going to end at 2:00 a.m. or thereabouts. So, those who came 1:30 are not going to see much. The thing I am having a little trouble understanding is why these patrons are going to show up for a party that might only last about another 45 minutes? That would basically mean that you spent anywhere between $3,000 and $5,000 for less than an hour of fun. And then they curse the police 'dog-rotten' that they, "lock off di dance!" Well, maybe if you got there earlier you might have got more for your money.

Some will argue that parties go until 7:00 a.m. or later so by getting there at one, you actually end up spending about six hours. Now, that's taking things to the next extreme. Why am I going to be at a party until the sun is up? That leaves very little time for, uh, sleep and, perish the thought, work! Maybe I do too much of both (like I said I have no life), but even if I did party hearty, staying out all hours of night is not my prescribed method of living. Unless you have the stamina of Superman, Red Bull and Ciclon can only help you so much. One theory is "party hard now and sleep when you're dead." Well if you wreck your body enough, you will be dead; by the time you get to 30!

I heard one foreigner joke that Jamaica has a multi-party system i.e., there were multiple parties every night. Ok, so that was a bit corny, but he has a point. I suppose we are trying to live up the unofficial motto of the island "no problem man!" While there are problems aplenty, dancing and drinking the night away is apparently one way to forget them. But you don't have to have been to rehab to know that doesn't help. It arguably makes things worse. I'm all for people having the time of their lives but get some sleep man!

Wake me up at daviot.kelly@gleanerjm.com

Revellers joined the soca line and partied around the pool at the Jamaica Pegasus earlier this year. - Winston Sill/ Freelance Photographer