General Music Chat

I do not consider myself as special or different, and believe anyone can do it. It's just a matter of will.

Some people, even though they quit, become "dry drunks" (eg. George Dubya Shrub). Some folks are better off never starting at all. Joey Ramone couldn't handle weed. It made him freak out. So, he never did illegal drugs afterward. But, he ended up drinking a lot.

I've smoked maybe 4 joints in my life, since I was about 11. Never did sh*t for me. All I got was the munchies. I'd be offered LSD and other stuff at parties. But, I'm a little dubious about chemicals mixed in somebody's basement (remember the brown acid at Woodstock?). I kinda regret never trying shrooms or peyote. Meditation was useful to achieve altered states of consciousness. If you stare at a wall long and hard enough it starts to melt and breathe! Mind-expansion, of some sort, is healthy if done right.

As far as parents NOT having firsthand experience, I think, gives them more credibility when they're against their kids doing it. If they don't try to bullshit the kids, their warnings are more likely to be heeded.

I've taught by example. Perhaps it's just a genetic thing, but that wunnerful buzz just isn't all that important to anyone in my immediate family.

Yes, I've done it in front of my boy, & with him, once he reached an age & maturity where I assessed he was up for it with proper guidance. I've always approached these things with as much respect as I can muster, & I suppose it shows, cuz it sure seemed to work.

I know that it's a MEDICINE, to be used with proper respect & restraint, for certain conditions. That's all.

We've done pretty well with these sorts of subjects, due to the right attitude, I do believe. And I also think that a certain lack of predisposition to those addictions has helped immensely, as well. Some ppl just shouldn't do it, no matter what.

That hsa been of supreme importance to me, & I think my results have been great, thus far. My son is a 27 yr old single caring dad, with a good job, new car, & the hefty responsibilities of a special needs child, & he's doing an exemplary job of it all.

Many have genetic pressure that is overwhelming.

Many have genetic pressure that is overwhelming.

I as an alcoholic and drug addict, respectfully disagree.

Many have underwhelming will.

Stand the hell up and be counted as a man or die in the ditch.

We are all at choice.

sans, you found the strength because it was always there.
Some have had it beat out of them by life itself.
For those not in your category, mercy and understanding
are necessary.

You should write a song about that.

I have to agree with Sans...You make your own decisions-every single day. Disipline and will comes from within, and everyone has it...but the biggest battle is to use those tools rather than take the easy route. Excuses come a dime a dozen.
I believe (perhaps foolishly) that people can overcome any obstacle-but fear of failure and easy outs lead to failure (ironically).

It's a little different when a child is introduced to this sh¡t though... your mind does not think of the repercussions as an adult would... You just consider it to be a blast!

No one said it wasn't fun, Crip. So is eating candy. Eat too much, & the fun factor drops considerably. (I know...I did that when I was 5 yrs old...I was sick as hell after eating all my Easter candy in one afternoon.)

You may have a hard time believing this, but heroin is a HUGE problem out here in the STICKS, as well. I sure had a tough time believing it until I saw it in the eyes of the sons & daughters of some ppl I know.

Scary stuff, indeed, which is all the more reason that my intervention was called for, when it was given.

My boy saw how I behaved at parties, in bars, on the job, at college, virtually everywhere. He saw when I did stuff, what I did, & what I refused, & when. He saw me act & react reasonably, & with restraint. This covered not only alcohol, btw.

I still firmly believe that it contributed to his self-restraint, self control, & overall sense of responsibility toward not only his own son, but to his own self.

Different approach, for sure, but it seems to have worked for us.

Having already commented here, I do have to offer this addendum:

I was talking to a friend of mine one time, a heavy duty pot head himself, and I made the statement that I understood why people smoked pot because of the relaxation factor, but I never knew why people did drugs like heroin or crank. His response?

"You've lived a pretty sheltered life, haven't ya, Joe?"

Yes, I have. And I'm very thankful for that. I know that I become addicted to things very easily (cigarettes have been proof enough for me), and I'm glad that I wasn't exposed to other things.

I hear ya... but at the same time... that's how these kids are getting addicted today to heroin... they're mixing it with sweeteners and just handing it out to them... You wouldn't believe the heroin crisis out here with pre-teens and teens.... It's unbelievable! Same happened to me... My sisters ex was always carrying tons of weed and would just hand it to me...it was there for the taking! I was smoking this crap in 5th grade while others were still playing on their bicycles and doing what normal 10-11 year olds would do... and it lead to harder sh¡t real quick... before I was in high school, I was a full blown addict.. was doing uppers, secondalls, acid, mesc, hash, etc... right in the prime of my childhood... hung out with other that did... it was normal.... It's seriously amazing I'm not dead!

You wouldn't BELIEVE some of the sh*t we were doing by 5th grade! I think it escalates each generation, like "TOP THAT!" Maybe kids today have mellowed a LITTLE since then. I dunno.

In your case, yeah, you shouldn't have started. You seem to have an addictive personality. Your kids would likely be susceptible. I once knew the drummer from Badfinger when I was, I think, still in my teens (played at my family's church awhile). He came over, sat down in my bedroom and gave me this long speech about how he regrets the drugs, the heavy drinking, etc. and I'm thinking, "Dude, watching f**k guys like YOU are why I don't go to excess and start on the hard stuff!"

I think, the excesses of the Baby-Boomers made us better navigators of this stuff and what to avoid. Danny Bonaduce said once that his own drug use made it UNCOOL to his kids. "Dad made drugs uncool!"

CD Recomendation: Where the light is/Live from los angeles
John Mayer

You wont regret it.

I hear ya... but at the same time... that's how these kids are getting addicted today to heroin... they're mixing it with sweeteners and just handing it out to them... You wouldn't believe the heroin crisis out here with pre-teens and teens.... It's unbelievable! Same happened to me... My sisters ex was always carrying tons of weed and would just hand it to me...it was there for the taking! I was smoking this crap in 5th grade while others were still playing on their bicycles and doing what normal 10-11 year olds would do... and it lead to harder sh¡t real quick... before I was in high school, I was a full blown addict.. was doing uppers, secondalls, acid, mesc, hash, etc... right in the prime of my childhood... hung out with other that did... it was normal.... It's seriously amazing I'm not dead!

You wouldn't BELIEVE some of the sh*t we were doing by 5th grade! I think it escalates each generation, like "TOP THAT!" Maybe kids today have mellowed a LITTLE since then. I dunno.

In your case, yeah, you shouldn't have started. You seem to have an addictive personality. Your kids would likely be susceptible. I once knew the drummer from Badfinger when I was, I think, still in my teens (played at my family's church awhile). He came over, sat down in my bedroom and gave me this long speech about how he regrets the drugs, the heavy drinking, etc. and I'm thinking, "Dude, watching f**k-up guys like YOU are why I don't go to excess and start on the hard stuff!"

I think, the excesses of the Baby-Boomers made us better navigators of this stuff and what to avoid. Danny Bonaduce said once that his own drug use made it UNCOOL to his kids. "Dad made drugs uncool!"

Good part is that I've raised both... one at 3 yrs. of age and the other from infancy... they are my step kids but I've raised them all their lives so luckily they don't have my genes....

I respect the opinions voiced here.
Yet I have to comment that just because I was able to kick and control my habits that to imply it was easy would be misleading.
I not only drank to excess but have done many drugs. I have bought & sold them in some pretty scary situations.
I spent years training, suffering total exhaustion, severe physical pain and injures, learning how to be disciplined.
I've also spent years helping others to do the same.

The only thing that was in me naturally was the desire to be different and better than I was.