- I'm at an age now where drugs are everywhere with people in my grade. I remember my dad once basing an opinion on a bunch of people, and admitting that he felt they were weak-minded. I don't base my opinions like that, but it still makes me wonder. Okay, I'm going to be more direct.
What the hell is wrong with you people?
- I was at a party on New Years, and it was pretty fun. It was out back someone's house (They have a big place), and we set up a fire, had fireworks, music, and everything. The cool thing was that I knew everyone but two people, which is a really neat thing to have going, because I could just walk from one part of the party to another, where there was a conversation going, and just join in. The down side was that I saw the really dirty side of all these people I've known as friends and acquaintances.
I recently came to the conclusion that I have been friggin' naive. There was a small class meeting thing at our school where the Junior class got together in two portions, one per day. Nobody knew what it was about, but when we got there we discovered a lady (I don't remember who she was) was there to talk to us. She seemed friendly, and got the kids to be honest. At one point, she asked: "Okay, now honestly, I'd like all of you who have tried smoking to raise your hands."
- Everyone but me and two other kids raised their hands.
I was stunned. I really had no clue that this many kids in our class had actually done this. I remember hearing a rumor a while ago that every single one of last years Seniors had tried a specific drug. I didn't believe it at the time, but now I was starting to.
- My first response was: Where the hell were all of you in Health Class? Screwing around with paper airplanes and killing the classroom plants? To some of you this may seem pansy-like but if you think so, I have two words for you. Well, more than two, but the first two you can guess, as the first one starts with an F and the second one starts with a Y. Yeah, those are the words.
Leaving behind being cool for a moment, take a look at this crap from a logical point of view. You are doing something that will screw you and your body up permanently, in exchange for a moment or two of pleasure that you could get from something that won't mess you up. This isn't just cheap thrills, this is cheap thrills with a freaking knife.
- It's hard for me to even think of anything to say about it, it's just so stupid. Drugs are so not worth it, it's not even funny. People I try to ask about this, once they realize that they don't have a legit answer for why they do it other than it feels good, counter with the "It's my life" line. All that line is is a cheap defense because they have no real reason. Every single person I've confronted about drugs and marijuana has used this line except one. This guy, and I'll refrain from saying his name, because his parents or somebody who might want to get him in trouble might read this. But after the discussion we had at that party, I thought so much higher of him. This was part of the conversation:
"Look. I understand where you're coming from," he says to me, looking at the fire and then focusing on me. "I get that weed is bad, and I get that drinking is bad. But . . . you just have to understand how I live my life."
- "This would probably be a lot more meaningful if you weren't drunk and hiccuping," I say inevitably.
He laughs a moment. "Yeah, I know. Well, I'm not doing this stuff to excess, smoking weed or getting drunk every night, you know."
- "I know," I say, nodding, "And I respect you for that. The worst people are the ones who do this for excess, and do it because they got nothing else. But if you start, you easily end up with nothing like the rest of them."
A person to the far left of us, unbearably drunk, falls into the bushes. We both simultaneously look up, then look back at the fire. The thought that this would make a pretty good movie occurs to me.
- "Most of the time, it's just on occasions that I do it," he continues as though nothing happened.
"Occasions to screw you self up?" I ask, not really using the word "screw."
- "Well, no. Just to have a good time."
I give him a look. "If you have to take drugs and get drunk to have a good time, I'd say you all ready screwed up and it's too late. Look, I don't know about you, but I go to parties to have a good time, not to get shit-faced. If I have a good time, I want to remember it," I say, unconsciously raising my voice. I break off and motion to the guy lying in the bushes. "Do you think he's gonna remember anything from tonight?"
- Another stupid thing in that category is cigarettes. Me, I fail to see the point. So, let's see . . . you light something on fire . . . then stick it in your mouth . . . and suck in the smoke into your lungs? Is that it? No other picture I'm missing, other than the fact that it fills your lungs up with the crap they put in roads and asphalt, the cigarettes are made with the same stuff they use to kill fleas and clean toilets, and that it can give you several different types of cancer? Yeah, I guess that's it.
Probably the most legit answer I've ever heard was that it calms you down. I know somebody that has a cigarette every month or so when she's really stressed. Not as bad, but still worse than it has to be. Geez, go talk to a freaking therapist if you need to rely on sucking on a stick to calm yourself. Even if you don't want to see a therapist, it seems that suffering a little stress wouldn't be quite as bad as taking years off your life, poisoning yourself, making yourself and everything you own smell bad, poisoning everyone around you and just end up looking stupid. A ton of people smoke because it "looks cool." Personally, I don't think it makes you look cool, just stupid.
- I'll say it flat out. I'm against drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. They're all freaking pathetic ways of trying to have a good time. If you are so sad that you have to depend on one or more of those three things to have a good time, then I don't even know what to say to you except I'm sorry.
But I'd be lying. I'm not. It's your friggin' fault.
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