High Times

When I started to write this blog I declared that was not going to candy coat myself because it would mean I am fake and I would be misrepresenting myself. I felt needed to utter that to remind myself not to worry about what people think of me. This next entry might be mind-blowing to some of my readers but remember I am keeping it real. I am going to take back to time in my life what I call “High Times” and how I came to a certain realization.

I grew up around people of the 70’s and the 80’s. I would have to say that most of my highlight and what I talked about in my entry titled “Taking a Turn” happened in mid on into the late 80’s. I ran amuck in the in the early part of this time. Not that I was a trouble maker or did bad things, I was just exploring my freedom; therefore, my physical condition was at its peak. And where I grew up, it was paradise. We had three beaches, eight parks, numerous places where we could go play video games, almost a hamburger hut on every block, and everything was within talking distance. The people that I was surrounded by were pretty down earth and they were not prejudice; however, they smoked marijuana and drank.

I knew about the pot smoking and beer drinking, but I wasn’t aloud to do it, of course, because I was a young boy. When I got older and became more aware of these activities I saw it as the ultimate social thing to do. At the start of my teenage years I eventually started smoking pot with the few friends I had without my mom’s knowledge. Eventually I started smoking pot with my mom and her friends when I got older. I had one rule, go to school and I did. Smoking pot was such a social thing that it became a part of my life. It was the thing to do. No peer pressure. Nobody waved a joint in my face, and said: “come on Steve, try it.” In fact, it was such a social thing that I cannot remember how I started. All I know is I liked it at the time.

Right about the middle of my “High Times” time I started having trouble walking and became a guinea pig as I described in the entry title: “Taking a Turn.” Smoking pot became the most social thing I did during this time to where I smoked it heavily, almost every hour on the hour. This went on for quite some time. After the doctors from three different institutions gave a verdict of nothing was wrong I continued to smoke pot and out with my friend.

It wasn’t until a few years after I graduated high school that one day that I woke up in the morning and made a shocking revelation to my mom. I got up out of bed, nothing exciting or dramatic happened the night before, and went to my mom and told her: “I’m quitting smoking.” My mom was shocked at my surprising announcement and made sure every knew. I don’t know what do into me. The best way I could describe it is I looked at how content I was treating my life, and said to myself: “I don’t like this.” A whole lot of people could not believe how I could smoke pot for so long and stop cold turkey without any help or counseling. Looking back now it was will power.

Some people might look down on me ot some may be applause… it’s all about keeping it real.