Sicarius

Geez. I had a post written for this thread on Thursday to the effect that Phillip Seymour Hoffman was the only actor I'd trust to play me (and thanking others for the Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe suggestions), but I hit "Ctrl+A Del" instead of clicking "Post Reply" because I felt a little self-conscious about creating a few dozen mental linkages in the brains of total strangers between me and an overweight middle-aged drug addict. I suppose it's safe to say that I'd never be able to have a career as an actor myself. PSH would've needed only a dye job and about 15 minutes with a makeup guy to get the look down to a point that my mother couldn't tell us apart, and the performance would've been a cinch (probably a cross between the priest from "Doubt" and "Gust with a 'T'"). Now he'll never get the chance. :'-(

My uncle died just over a year ago with a needle sticking out of his arm, too (although in a public, not private, bathroom). My brother drank himself to death a few months ago at the ripe old age of 32 after a lifetime of heavy drug use and schizophrenia that was probably drug-induced. And I have another uncle who blew a promising sports career and lost about 30-40 IQ points throughout his 20s due to drug and alcohol abuse and has been my father's house-guest from hell for the last ten years, since he sure as shit can't live on his own even if he could hold a job.

Stay away from drugs, folks. The long slow death is far worse than anyone can imagine - by the end, you have less than nothing and OD'ing becomes the only thing you have to look forward to. There's nothing sadder than starring in a funeral with 50+ people where no one is willing to stand up and say anything positive about you.

My condolences, Tolstoy.

Thanks, Putin.

Obi-

"Pat" from "It's Pat"

damn Tolstoy, kudos on staying on the straight and narrow

"kudos on staying on the straight and narrow"

Thanks, but all I've been thinking the last seven months is "there but for the Grace of God go I". I can't help but think that the fact that I'm typing this instead of being a box of decomposing ashes has more to do with fate and (possibly) genetics than any choices I consciously made in life.

Utter tosh. At the end of the day there's always a choice. Plenty of people go to hell and back and never give in. Plenty of people surrender their principles at the slightest excuse. You are drug free because it is the course you have chosen to sail, and don't let nonsense about fate or circumstance take that away.

Sir, I salute you.

@Octavious

"there's always a choice"

The thing with addiction is that after a while, your brain cannot make that choice.

Don't muddy the waters. Don't test your ability to choose. Tolstoy's right, just don't mess with it all.