Friday, May 26, 2006

A dark story with a message of hope - part 1

I like real stories, I like authentic stories, I like the whole truth and nothing but the truth. MANY movies/documetaries/books/articles are all of the above. However there is a problem... most of these "realistic" portrayals of difficult life situations leave the viewer with a "oh well, life is just like that... too bad" feeling of hopelessness. Thats wrong! One of my buddies has a tough past of his own but he has come out of the darkness and into the light:) Its really an awesome tale. I am honored that he would write for this blog. I will leave his writing unedited. Here is part 1. Its entitled "from dusk to dawn".

From dusk to dawn Part 1

Empty cough mixture bottles, plastic bags of marijuana and pills all kept in different dark corners of my room. Like a squirrel who knows where the acorns are hidden, I never lose count of any of the illicit substances that are placed in my room. Like an eager armskote man who takes pride in his rifles in the store, I kept the inventory embedded deeply in my head, never once did it go wrong. Like clockwork, I know when to “score” (a street slang for buying drugs from the dealers) the next batch. I was also careful – I never scored from the same dealer for more than 3 months for fear of being followed by the watchful eyes of the “narcs” (narcotics officers). So there I was, living in my own little sphere of euphoric being, fuelled by chemical substances in my system. The days are filled with unbridled spirit of fun and like all addicts will say, just getting high baby nothing much. Same shit, different day.

Most people will think that all drug addicts are all begging on the streets and most probably poor with little or no money. Heroin addicts are one of the neatest and cleanest people I have met in my life. They are meticulous in what they do placing emphasis in their daily appearance. Don’t ask me why but that’s what I knew. I lost my best friend to heroin. From an untidy bum in dressing, he became the neatest dresser I have ever seen. Maybe it’s the paranoia derived from the effect of the drug – the fear of being spotted as a drug user. I never dared to try heroin. It’s expensive and most never quit. Most importantly, I have seen how it had destroyed my friend’s life and that’s another story of its own. Now to continue with my own story……

There are many different kinds of drugs in the market. From prescriptive drugs like Dormicums (a sedative for sleeping) to controlled drugs like Marijuana, Ketamine or Ecstasy, each has its unique “high” and usage for the user. Even controlled drugs are classified into different classes in the eyes of the law here. (www.cnb.gov.sg) From Class A to Class C (a bit like your plane tickets – Economy Class or Business Class?), each different drug gives you a different trip altogether. I have tried most of the things available in the market – prescriptive to illegal. I was really into anti-depressants and marijuana. This is due to my depressive nature, maniac depressive they termed it. I need it for everything and every occasion. Without it, fishing will not be as fun, a movie will not be as enjoyable – well, you get the picture. As you guessed, the tentacles of addiction crept into all aspects of my life. Simply put it this way – I cannot function properly without it, not knowing that I have became a slave to drugs……

(to be continued...)

posted by Coach Jonathan Wong @ 5/26/2006 10:20:00 AM Comments: 1