Friday, May 7, 2010

straight edge without even realizing it?


Straight Edge is a movement that developed in the 1970s and early 1980s, and the purpose of this is to say no to drugs, alcohol, smoking and promiscuous sex. the symbol for this movement is usually the letter "X", which has derived from the marking clubs made on underage teens so that they wouldn't be served alcoholic drinks.

i'm a pastor's daughter. i don't use illegal substances. i'm certain i won't start to drink and/or smoke when i reach the age when i'm allowed to (18 here, even though i disagree with people under the age of 21 drinking (or drinking at all!), but if they want to do stuff to their brains, then they can go ahead). all this means that i was thought of as some nerd or freak when i was in middle school. now that i'm in high school, people just don't really care, but when talking about why i didn't go to this party or that party, then i've heard people say: "Well, yeah, if you don't drink, then you probably wouldn't have had anything to do there, anyway." and all i can think is that the purpose of going to a party should not be to get completely wasted, but to have a good time with your friends.

people tell me that drinking equals having a good time (especially to middle school (ages 11-16; not saying that many people actually start using these substances at the young age of 11; just stating the ages that equal middle school in our education system)), and it just makes no sense to me: how is not remembering anything and feeling sick the next day fun? how is it having a good time?

partying, yes, may include alcohol, and if used reasonably, then it's not that big a of a problem. a few drinks are completely fine, if you are old enough, i agree, because sometimes people just need something that will loosen them up a bit. the purpose of that is to relax a bit and enjoy your evening while hanging out with your friends. the purpose is not the opposite: having a few friends to drink the night away with, because if that is your purpose, then you're not really having a good time with the people around you. you drink and you drink and you stop acting appropriately, and even if you do want to communicate with others, then they probably don't want to communicate with you.

another thing is smoking: why do young people, who should appreciate their life and health and make plans for their future, have the need to start smoking? why do they have the need to be around people who smoke? how can someone who is purposely ruining your health, as well as their own, be someone you call a friend?

we are only humans, i agree with that. we are social creatures, and we have the need to communicate with others; it just is who we are. but that doesn't mean you have to be around people who are not good for you or for your health, only to feel wanted or popular.

i didn't really have friends in my middle school, and it was because of me not wanting to drink and/or smoke, but i have to say that i do not regret it at all. smoking, just like drinking, is not communicating with people. it's doing harm to yourself and to others surrounding you (unless, of course, you're always completely alone when you smoke), but the last time i checked, talking to people & socializing in other ways is supposed to do us good; it's supposed to develop who we are as a person, it's supposed to help us analyze different situations, and so on.

many say that they want to try everything once, and that it's none of other people's business what they do or how they act, but i can't really agree with that, because even one smoke can make you an addict, and even if you try drugs just once, it may have horrible consequences, and if this really happens then it is instantly those business who know you and who care about you. also, if you choose to have promiscuous sex, then that may also have serious consequences, and you'd have to be completely isolated from the society for it to be no one's business.

i didn't choose to be straight edge. i don't think i've ever sat myself down and make a clear decision about using substances, not before realizing that i just don't have the need or want to do any of this, at least. i've never thought, "i'm going to be straight edge now." i'm not like this because of a movement, even though i agree with the movement. i'm like this because i just am. i'm a person who doesn't need substances and sex to define who i am.

what about you?

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