SUBSTANCE ABUSE

[Christine]

Hi Folks,                      27 December 2019

This post is mainly about tobacco use; it lightly touches on Alcohol and Illegal Drugs. I'll leave the latter two items for folks with more knowledge on those two subjects. Feel free to comment on tobacco as I only touched on smoking.

If you are an ex-smoker have you ever had someone tell you to take it easy on your friends that are still smoking, they'll quit when they are ready? Well, I can't take it easy on them, they're mine are all dead.

I'm an ex-smoker; 3 pack a day routine when I quit over 50 51 years ago, 05 March 1969 to be exact. Started when I was a kid about 13. There were 5 of us that grew up together and were life long friends. We all smoked tobacco, a couple did weed and tobacco and one anything he could find. I'm the only one that remains. The last two passed away 2 3 years ago within two months of each other; Lung Cancer.

Thirteen years ago my neighbors, a husband and wife, passed away one week apart. Husband first. Wife went to his funeral and in less than a week she died. Both lung cancer. He was a chain smoker and she never smoked. She just lived in a house where she had to breathe his exhaust fumes. Second hand smoke can/will kill you.

When someone that is smoking tries to get in my space while smoking, either they stop smoking or they leave.

Even though I haven't smoked in 50 51 years, there is still damage from the time that I did, about 10 years total. It's most obvious when I have an echo cardiogram. Yes the garbage will clear out, eventually, but the physical damage smoking causes never goes away; you're stuck with it. The younger you are when you quit, the better off you will be. The younger you are when you start, the more severe the damage will be and the worse off you will be. Your best bet, Never Start, if you do start, STOP.

There's not a single redeeming quality in smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs recreationally. If you think there is, you have a problem called "Stupdiitis," which can't be fixed.

Yes, I did smoke and drink. Never used illegal drugs. Wish I had never done either of the aforementioned, glad I never did the latter.

Happy New Year Everyone.

Best Always, Love

Christine

PS:
10 April 2020 - Edited and Updated this post.

What I wrote here is serious business. I'll be 80 shortly and I pay a price for some of the dumb things I did many years ago. Everything we do has a price tag attached to it. We just have no way of knowing exactly when those bills will come due, rest assured, They WILL!!

[Christine]

Hi Folks,                       27 September 2020

Been meaning to write this but never think about it when I'm here. My previous post about DUI's kind of gave me the push I needed, so here goes.

My father was a life long alcoholic. When I was little I was allowed to drink beer, not large amounts but a few sips of my parents glass of beer.

As a child, I spent a lot of time in bars with my parents while they drank and watched other folks act goofy. To me as a kid, it was fun watching the drunks making fools of themselves.

About the time the bar was getting ready to close, we'd hop in the car and head home. I never gave much thought to the fact that my dad was driving while being intoxicated. It just didn't compute because I can't remember seeing them act goofy while or after drinking.

When I became a teenager, my friends and I found ways of obtaining a few bottles of beer or a bottle of wine, usually something like Mogen David or a few bottles of Carling's Black Label or, heaven forbid,  Burkhardt's; this was tough stuff.

As I became older I realized drinking was getting me nowhere I wanted to be, so I cut back significantly then stopped altogether, 1990 to be exact.

My father came to live with me in 1984 and spent the last 22 years of his life here in Texas. His drinking continued as usual. To make this a bit shorter, I'll skip right to the crux of this post.

One day, as I walked into the kitchen, my dad announced: "I Quit Drinking." My dad swore up and down he wasn't going to drink anymore. I told him that was a good idea and left it there.

My dad just happened to forget one small and important item: I was the one that took the trash out Monday's and Thursday's. You guessed it, the trash cans would be overflowing with whisky, wine and beer bottles. I could say one thing for my dad; he didn't drink anymore ..... and he sure didn't drink any less.

Hard core alky's just delude themselves.

Glad I gave up the drinking; it leads to nowhere good.

Best Always, Love

Christine