To The Whiskey Girls

I see you. You, the girl who walks right up to the bar and orders a cheap whiskey on the rocks. You, the girl who isn’t afraid to do a shot of Jack to get the night started. You, the girl who slings her purse over the barstool and surveys the room, taking in the scene and putting together the stories of the other night owls while you wait for your friends to arrive.

You feel most like yourself past 10 p.m., in a dimly lit dive bar with your favorite people.

You notice a lot more than you let on. You’re constantly observing. When you look at someone, you do your best to truly see all of them because you know what it’s like to be looked past. To be chosen second. To be heard but not listened to. You’re the girl who learned early on to take care of herself and haven’t tried to find anyone else to do that for you.

After all, you like being on your own. You know how to stand on your own two feet. Independent, and maybe a little closed off. But that’s only because you know better. You learned that love can hurt and people leave.

But please remember not all of them well. It’s okay to let your guard down every now and then.

You don’t have to do everything on your own.

So to the whiskey girls, please understand that I know you, I see you, and I am you. 

You’re rough around the edges and a bit hard to swallow. A little bit too much and definitely not for everyone. In fact, you may not be for most. And that’s okay.

You’re okay just as you are. 

So, please, the next time it’s nearing 11 p.m. and the bar is growing more and more crowded, let yourself be seen. Continue to make others feel at home but for once make your home in someone else, too. Let them in. You’re worth knowing after all.

And most importantly, when you are lowering the walls, show who you are, and I mean all of you.  Even the messy and broken parts. And then, see who stays. Those are your people. Hold on to them like hell. 

So, to my whiskey girls, not everyone is going to get it; not everyone is going to get you. And that’s okay because I wouldn’t take you any other way. And I hope one day you feel that way about yourself, too.