Personal Narrative: Shot Glasses

A bond became an obsession
Among the nation “shot glasses” first derived from New York City in 1940 but in my household they became a phenomenon in 2008. In New York City they were first used as small glasses with thick walls filled with BBs and lead shots at the dinner table; as meat often still had shards from the bullets. However, as liquor became more popular throughout the nation, they converted into a device of alcohol consumption. Be it a classy jigger, a tacky collection in a home bar, or a cheap collectible in a college dorm room, where alcohol goes, shot glasses follow.
Throughout my childhood years, shot glasses were the complete opposite as what they are deemed as today. Shot glasses represented a memory. I was never close to
my father, and he collected them throughout my childhood. I was constantly learning that to maintain a close knit bond with my father, I would have to express interest in something that he did. As the years went by I realized that after every business trip he went to, he would bring a matching shot glass for himself and my brother. I quickly picked up on this hobby of his, and began to crave to collect with him; hoping it would bring us closer together.
I began my obsession with shot glasses when I was twelve; begging my parents for money to purchase them everywhere I went; amusement parks, antique stores, gas stations, board walks, general stores, and even yard sales. They soon became my motivation to leave the house and go somewhere new and exhilarating. Because of shot glasses I had transformed from a loner who never wanted to be around people, to someone who loved exploring and being with diverse individuals. Shot glasses gave me the courage to finally persuade my mother in taking a road trip with me along the East Coast for two weeks one summer. This led to multiple trips. By the time I was fifteen, we had driven through every state and gone to Canada. During these bonding experiences with my mother, we would constantly stop at gas stations to use the restroom, go to welcome centers at state lines, visit the local attractions, and even check out the antique stores. Now, knowing me I never desired anything but shot glasses, so as years passed, my shot glass collection grew as did my memories, experiences, and friend group.
I distinguished every shot glass in my collection as a memory.
My collection began to remind me of individual people and places; pieces of my past. The glasses help me distinctly remember the worthy nights, and adventures, keeping me homebound and aware of my achievements. However, as I grew out of middle school and into high school; my mother and I began to end our road trips for I was too busy and she wanted to return to work. However, the summer leading into freshman year of high school I met my former best friend who introduced me to all the wonders of drinking. For what was once used as decoration and to symbolize memories, was now used to get drunk, not remember my nights, and to act as someone who I was not. My emotions and attitudes began to morph while participating in these events; I didn’t worry about creating a memory anymore but which shot glass would look better with alcohol in it. I overlooked why I initially collected them and what they meant to me, but instead how I could use them to fit
in.
I lost my innocence.
I completely forgot who I was. After that summer, I never wanted to even seen my shot glass collection. I did not want to think about the memories I made, who I made them with, and how I ruined my perception of something I once treasured. Since that summer I learned that people are not subject to asking questions first, but they are to judge first. My former friends judged me; they thought that since I had a shot glass collection that I was someone who drank consistently, knew my limit, and knew my alcohol. That was far from true. I stopped collecting shot glasses for about three years after that unforgettable summer. However, I started collecting again in college once I realized that mistakes are not mistakes unless you make them such. I had not made mistakes that summer but rather learned from my experiences and created unimaginable nights with some people that others will never get the chance to
have. Quickly after coming to college I realized that I was not like my other peers. My collection became a symbol for me to remember to be unique and never follow what everyone else was doing. It began to consistently prompt me to contemplate about why I continued collecting the glasses once my father and I became closer. I collected shot glasses for the mere fact the I admire the different sayings, representations of attractions/locations, and the built styles. They helped me remember why I am who I am; what I have experienced and who I spend some of my most forgettable nights with. I constantly look at my over one hundred shot glass collection with admiration as if they are photographs. Throughout my life, these shots glasses have been motivations to be someone I always wanted to be, helped me learn more about myself and the people around me, change my perception on the world around me, and morphed my personality and emotions to make me the person I am today. My glass collection is a record of my life’s journey.