| One of the proudest things I've ever done in my | | | | confidence and independent thinking," I answered! I |
| lifetime, is to stay away from drugs! And, in the year | | | | told the group that I know the dangers of alcohol |
| 2006, I am 60 years young, and I lived through the | | | | and drugs...as I have two alcoholic brothers and one |
| drug culture of the 1960's and survived. A few years | | | | alcoholic sister, and, between them, they've managed |
| ago, I heard a band member of one of the top | | | | to ruin the whole family. |
| bands of the '60's say, "If you remember the | | | | A person doesn't have to be a rocket scientist, to |
| 60's...you werent there!" | | | | see the news every day, and all across the nation, |
| Well...to this dope head, I say, I was there in the 60's, | | | | people get themselves in trouble because of alcohol |
| and I remember most of what went on! I wasn't all | | | | and drug use. Do I need alcohol or drugs to have |
| screwed up like him and like so many people were | | | | fun? NO! Do I need a shot of "courage" to get out |
| back then! To this day, I have never seen a | | | | on the dance floor? NO! Do I need a shot of |
| marijuana cigarette; LSD; yellows; reds; uppers; | | | | "courage" to ask a lady to dance NO! Are alcohol and |
| downers, etc. People got involved in this kind of | | | | drugs going to solve any of my problems...A BIG FAT |
| thing, in my view, because of peer-pressure to a | | | | NO! |
| large degree! Call me a cube; call me a square; call me | | | | Peer-pressure: There is peer-pressure, and then there |
| a sissy...but, don't call me late for dinner! (Sticks and | | | | is plain old fashion PRESSURE that we all know about, |
| stones!) | | | | that comes from friends and family, etc. Example: |
| * Confidence: For me, it all starts with | | | | One of my friends in the Air Force, was having |
| self-confidence, which I think is one of the most | | | | trouble with his family, because after he got |
| important words in the dictionary. I've been in the | | | | discharged from the Air Force, one side of the family |
| humor business most of my life, and because of this, | | | | wanted him to go to law school and become a |
| I have never had a problem making friends, etc. As | | | | lawyer like all the rest of the family. And, the other |
| soon as I make somebody laugh...I have a friend! But, | | | | side of the family wanted him to stay with the family |
| in attracting people, I attract the good, the bad, and | | | | business which was the lumber business. He wanted |
| the ugly. And, then I have to find a way to get rid of | | | | neither! He wanted to go to school to become a |
| the mis-fits that came along for the ride, etc. The | | | | biologist with the wildlife service or to be a park |
| confidence I have...gives me the ability to say NO and | | | | ranger and to work outdoors. PRESSURE FROM THE |
| show the door to the people I don't around me! | | | | FAMILY! |
| * Drugs: When I was in the Air Force (on our side), | | | | I was a freshman in college when President Kennedy |
| some of my friends got discharged before I did, and | | | | was killed. And, I remember the cute little kids in the |
| some of them went straight to the college life and | | | | White House named John-John and Caroline. All the |
| got into the drug culture of the 1960's. At that time, | | | | Kennedys had gone to Harvard. But, when John-John |
| I had to decide if I would have them as friends, or if | | | | grew up, he chose to go to Brown University. This |
| I would go my own way and find other friends. The | | | | showed me independent thinking on his part, and he |
| decision was easy. I decided to find other friends and | | | | did not keep the tradition of going to Harvard. But, |
| go my own way. I wasn't looking for anybody to ruin | | | | there was pressure on him from his family to go to |
| my life! | | | | Harvard and he rejected it. He went out and did |
| * Alcohol: Over the past decade or so, I have been | | | | what he thought was best for him. (As most |
| laid off from SIX jobs, all for legitimate reasons, such | | | | everyone knows, he died a few years ago in a plane |
| as defense cuts; companies closing, etc. So, I have | | | | crash) |
| had a lot of stress and depression on me for a long | | | | One of the best movies I've ever seen, was "Dead |
| time. So, during this time, how was I going to repair | | | | Poets Society," with Robin Williams. The movie was |
| the problem of my mental state? Was the answer in | | | | set in the late 1950's, when America was naive, |
| a bottle? Was the answer in drugs? Was the answer | | | | immature, and needed to grow up! We didn't do |
| in a cigarette? I chose none of the above! All of | | | | much independent thinking back then! We all had to |
| these things make matters worse! So, I said NO to all | | | | look like a bunch of penguins lumbering up the ice |
| of them, and I had to find the answers to my | | | | burg...clones of each other! Robin Williams played the |
| problems elsewhere. Why would I want to ruin my | | | | part of a school teacher, and he got fired from |
| life? | | | | every job he had. Why? Because he went against |
| After my sixth job loss, I was down in the dumps, | | | | the school administration rules, and taught his |
| and had fallen on hard times and needed help, so I | | | | students to think independently! That's what got him |
| went to live at the VA Medical Center. They have a | | | | in trouble, and the school officials wanted all the |
| program there to help veterans get back on their | | | | students to be penguins! We all had to look and think |
| feet for various reasons. There were 15 veterans in | | | | like each other in the 50's! |
| the program at that time, and all of them were there | | | | Later in the late 1960's, came the cry, "do your own |
| because of substance abuse except me. (I was | | | | thing," and that's what people do in the year 2006. A |
| there on job losses) One day, during a general | | | | man with a shaved head; a man with long hair; |
| discussion I told the group that, when it comes to | | | | everybody dresses differently...do your own thing! |
| alcohol, I have had a "one beer policy" for a long | | | | Back then, women were not allowed to wear pants |
| time. If I go to a function of any kind, I have ONE | | | | to work or to school. (Naive thinking) Today, women |
| BEER, and then I switch to a soft drink....that's | | | | wear pants all the time, as it should be. |
| it...period! | | | | I can only speak for myself, but I handle the issue of |
| My goodness, there were raised eye-brows all | | | | pressure with confidence; independent thinking and |
| around the table! Boy, these guys thought I was | | | | discipline, which I think are crucial in staying on the |
| weird! A couple of them looked at me like I was a | | | | right track. Why? Guess who's the most important |
| sissy! This was a rough crowd! "Jerry, how can you | | | | person in the world...Me! And, if I don't take care of |
| drink only one beer?" I was asked. "Discipline, | | | | ME...who's going to do it? |