The third rail of blogging?

Also known as my personal hell.

Anyone exhausted from all these posts yet? Sheesh!

I’ve been dreading this 30 days of Truth prompt since the moment I saw it.  ”Your opinion on politics, on religion.”

You’re kidding, right? Clearly whoever wrote this list did not take into consideration my naughty little blog. Me no talkie politics!

Well, as I was reminded by a more dedicated blogger than myself, I made this commitment to do this damn thing, so I better just get on with it. I’m a liberal. The kind of Democrat that is willing to give my share towards services that I believe should be made available to every citizen and immigrant. I believe that with great freedom comes great responsibility.

So why am I hesitant to talk about this? I was raised by parents that did NOT talk politics, finances, share personal stories, very closed mouth pair, except where religion was concerned, specifically Catholicism and THE ONE HOLY CHURCH. Nothing at home inspired me to delve into politics. I never took a course in high school or college that even came close to explaining anything behind the most basic concepts. I feel quite unqualified to comment. So there!

Religion is something else. Not that its something I really want to talk about. I believe FAITH and religion are two completely different things. Religion is a man made institution that we’ve failed miserably in design and execution.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

The next prompt also made me groan until I read a post by Kris at Pretty All True that got me thinking about the good times. The prompt for day 20 is my view on drugs and alcohol.  Sigh.

If you didn’t already know, I was a bartender in college. I LOVED it. And I loved drinking. Tequila shots were my friends. Did I drink myself into a drunken stupor? No. Did I drink so much and then follow up with cheap mexican food that I quickly regretted? Yes, on numerous occasions.  In general, my experience with alcohol has been a pleasant one. Well, Guinness breaks up with me with every pregnancy and it takes a good year before I can drink it again, but that ain’t a bad thing.

I have known alcoholics. My Grandmother’s second husband was an alcoholic before I knew what that meant. He always had a martini around. When I was 10 or so he taught me how to make a White Russian (still a personal favorite). When we would go out on hikes while visiting them in North Carolina, there was always the green canteen filled with Carlo Rossi. Grandpa always told the best bedtime stories, made the best hamburgers and otherwise entertained us. We didn’t see the adverse affects of his drinking. It wasn’t until Grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s that we started to see him slip. He stopped caring for their properties, and no one was there to curb his drinking. And Grandmother suffered. I have tried to preserve all memories of my Grandmother and Grandpa and so I’ve refused to listen to just how bad it got.

I realize I haven’t personally suffered from the consumption of alcohol and so I’m not overly critical of its use. Moderation is my answer.

Now drugs. Ah, drugs.

I lived a very sheltered life until I left for college. I didn’t try pot until I was almost 24. Sure I knew what it smelled like, had seen guys stoned but I didn’t experience it myself. And even then, I apparently wasn’t smoking the good stuff because I never saw the appeal, never felt totally relaxed. Didn’t see the big deal.

And then I moved to California.

I had been living in San Francisco for about 5 months when I had the chance to go to Vegas. My girlfriend was meeting her boyfriend there and there were going to be some of his friends there too. At some point in the weekend, I was given some Ecstasy. At first taste, bitter! Ack. Sure, I had a vague idea what the expected results were and trusted the company I was in, in case things got weird.

Things didn’t get weird, just uncomfortable. And the teeth grinding. The sheets at the MGM Grand felt like they made of sand paper. I couldn’t get comfortable and my entire backside was chaffed from trying to get comfortable. I don’t want to think about the guys on that trip. And yes, so grateful that nothing else happened.

Apparently this was only my initiation.  Eventually I would have some wonderful exciting, sexy experiences taking Ecstasy and some very memorable experiences from magic mushrooms. And yes, pot too became my friend.

I also have a very cool boss that lived in San Francisco in the 70′s and 80′s and he has shared his many “enhanced” experiences during that time.

Again, I haven’t encountered ugly trips, haven’t had friends lives flushed down the toilet from an addiction to controlled substances, so I have a sheltered view. Sure, I’m aware of the dangers.

From the perspective of a parent, I feel I have had enough experiences to talk honestly to my children, when the time is right, about drug use. Do I want to think about my little ones getting stoned? No. But I’m also not going to be the Anti-Drug Nazi.

So, how many readers am I going to lose over this post?  Thoughts?

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10 comments to The third rail of blogging?

  • Cold As Heaven

    Why don’t you write a little bit about politics? It’s always fun to discuss. About Republicans and Democrats and stuff like that. Discussions about the 2nd amendment are always cool >:)

    [Reply]

  • magnolia

    drugs/drinking and kids: my father was an accomplished recreational drug use. naturally; he was 18 in 1970, right in the thick of the second wave of hippie-dom. he stopped using the heavy stuff when i was conceived (not heroin, but just about everything else); he stopped smoking pot when i was 3. he was straight-edge until i was about 15 or 16, at which point he took up beer again. when alcohol became an issue in my life, he was brutally honest about the good, the bad and the ugly.

    also, my mom was an alcoholic, both recovering and relapsed. that was a good object lesson, too.

    my point in all of this: honesty is the best policy. answer the questions you get straight-up and it’s all good.
    magnolia recently posted..ooh stylishMy ComLuv Profile

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  • Jackie

    I love how you have such an open and honest outlook on everything! You don’t bullshit about it. I like it.
    There was a lot more that I could have and wanted to say in my posts but I just couldn’t. My kids read it and some things I’m just not ready to share yet!
    Jackie recently posted..I’m not at Blissdom!My ComLuv Profile

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  • Jill VT

    Alas, you’re not losing me…and I’m a lefty Republican, practicing Catholic, and agree with your views on fun stuff like booze. Although I’ve never tried drugs…your moderate approach sounds just right to me.
    Jill VT recently posted..Mazel Tov Neiman Molly!My ComLuv Profile

    [Reply]

  • Jodie Kash

    Why do you care? Just tell your truth. It’s enough.

    [Reply]

  • Symdaddy

    I ran out of fingers and had to take my shoes and socks off as I tried to recount the number of train-wrecks I’ve witnessed thanks to various drugs.

    Good, solid people that wanted the ultimate high without having to bungee-jump or scale mountains. It did give them what they wanted, but finally killed them. Some of them were close friends and their deaths made it all the easier for me to avoid going down the same path they chose.

    Now I don’t even drink (I’ve been known to get a little bit lively when I do).

    Just in case this comment isn’t proof enough for you … I am still reading!
    (patting myself on the back now for boosting my loyalty rating)
    Symdaddy recently posted..Ambitious Author Seeks PlotMy ComLuv Profile

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  • John

    I have no idea what I’m going to say to my kids about drugs when they’re of the age where they need “that talk.” I haven’t taken anything illicit since college (and, even then, it was limited), and in a world of random drug testing, I’m kind of glad that I never walked down that road. That said, in high school, well, I got into the wrong crowd. I ended up playing bass in a band, and my bandmates were all went to exclusive private schools. In short, I played in a punk band with a bunch of yuppie kids.

    I actually started out trying to be “good,” and avoiding anything (never felt the peer pressure), but, well, we were playing all night parties during the summer as the rich parents were away, after spending all day working at Dunkin’ Donuts, TCBY, or whatever the hell job I had at the time. I started speed just to keep myself awake. Then peyote because I was told it was quite spiritual (it was). I had a very bad trip on LSD. Very bad. I quit the band the next day, and haven’t touched anything stronger than pot since. I didn’t start drinking until college, and I fear that I’ve toed the line between “social drinker” and alcoholic more times that I’d like to admit. Still, now, I obsess about a glass of wine or a beer or a glass of Scotch as the day progresses. Denying myself, or waiting until the kids are put to bed is sometimes a real effort. This scares me…then I have the first sip, and I stop thinking about it.

    Looking at how I’ll parent, there are stories that I’ll tell from my own childhood. There are some I won’t, and I have no idea where my drug history will come in. I never saw the need for homework in school (I had many C’s in high school, where I’d get A’s on all of the tests but not turn in a single assignment throughout the marking period), but you better believe that my kids will be quite old before they find out that I wasn’t the model student. But, drugs? I’m not going to be a strict “just say no,” person. I want to be the kind of parent that the kid will come to if they have questions, and if drugs are a verboten topic, well, they’ll go somewhere else.
    John recently posted..Slightly Off Topic Why I Didnt Work Out This MorningMy ComLuv Profile

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  • Pamela

    You didn’t lost me at all. Your drug story was a trip down memory lane! I was out of control as a youngin’ but it was freeing.
    Pamela recently posted..When its no longer considered postpartum depressionMy ComLuv Profile

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  • Susanne

    I am glad I ran into your blog, the honesty is very refreshing and I will stop by more often. I agree on being honest with the kids. I was a very heavy smoker and I think they just hated that part of me and will never smoke. I gave up in the 90s but have recently picked up a cig again in the evening, it is very enjoyable with an alcoholic beverage.

    [Reply]

  • CDG

    You’re going to have to work a little harder to alienate me, hon.

    I love your take on things. Carry on, sister.
    CDG recently posted..Untitled- Part FiveMy ComLuv Profile

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