I had a conversation with my mom today about various topics, one of the topics was my book. We didn't talk about it but I was thinking about the reasons why it's okay to say things that aren't necessarily flattering about yourself in your book. No, there's nothing in my book that actually embarrasses me (that I haven't removed). But, people who read my book will realize that I'm not perfect and that I have made mistakes.
My mind wandered some more throughout the day, and then landed on the subject of drugs. In general, I respect people more who have tried drugs than people who haven't. Particularly people who have been to the bottom and then climbed their way back up. I respect someone like this a lot more than someone who has stayed away from drugs all their life. I respect people who have made mistakes and have had to overcome trials a lot more than people who have been at the top their whole life.
But, back to the subject of merely trying drugs. It's not that I don't respect people who haven't tried drugs. But here's what mildly annoys me: when people act like they are better than me because I've tried drugs and they haven't. A certain housemate who shall remain unnamed was looking at my home pass agreement and laughing because it said that I must refrain from alcohol or drug use, because his never says that, because he's never done drugs.
So here's what I'm thinking but I don't say out loud. I was once like you. I was once one of them goody two-shoe kids who thought I would never try drugs. But then guess what happened? I grew up! It all goes back to the 8th grade, when something happened that I won't mention because it's top secret book information. The schools and the media try to scare kids about drugs. They try to brainwash you into associating the word "drugs" with something horrible and bad. That's why they get mad at my program when I call my medications drugs. Because they try to maintain that association in your mind of drugs with scary images of homeless meth addicts with sunken cheek bones, scabs, and missing teeth. They don't want you to equate the drugs they give you with the drugs on the street, when in actuality some of them aren't that different from each other.
Here's the truth: most people in the world have tried drugs, and most of them didn't get addicted. There's a chance that you might get addicted, and that's the reason that they try to scare you into staying away from drugs. If you're someone who has a family history of addiction, or you know that you have an addictive personality, and that's the reason that you stay away from drugs, then I can respect that. What I don't respect is people who think they're better than me because they continue to buy into the scare tactics that the schools and the media have used to try to get them to stay away from drugs. These people have been brainwashed.
I don't regret trying drugs. I've had experiences on drugs that I value. Sure, my experiences may have been due to chemicals. But guess what, every experience you have is the result of chemicals! Who cares if they naturally occur in the brain or not? I have had realizations on drugs about things I would not have realized otherwise, and they have permanently changed my views on the world. When I have kids, I will be honest and tell them that I've tried drugs.
The truth is, for the most part, trying a drug once or a few times or using it for a short period of time probably isn't going to cause very much damage at all. What is damaging is chronic use. I know some people who simply don't like drugs, my sister is one of them, and there's nothing wrong with that, actually that's a good thing. I used to abuse cough syrup a lot, but then I got tired of feeling stupid like my brain was in a fog and I couldn't think straight. I see a lot of value in being sober. But I also see a lot of value in experimenting with drugs. And that's what I think.
Thank you for listening.
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