Respect for Yourself
Is respect for Everyone
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
North Richmond is a scary place for the naïve. Every single day I get on the train at North Richmond station, there is at least one drug addict/user/abuser making a fool of themselves in their wasted state – have they no dignity or self respect? What makes it worse is the fact that it’s in broad daylight – with school kids everywhere.
This inspired me to write an article on the matter, and I was very happy when I saw Ockhamsrazor’s article on Ism’s. Ock strikes on a very important point, insightful if you will – those that suffer the afflictions of an Ism – it is their own problem. The responsibility to assist yourself rest’s on your own shoulders. To quote Ock Verbatim “The solution therefore is to take ownership of your own life and your own actions and your own consequences and make sure that the way you live is such that you continually and daily make sure that you are continuing in this fashion”
I sometimes fail to see why these people fall into their obvious rut! Like Ock, I consider myself somewhat qualified to comment on the abuse of substances. I am not a recovered substance abuser; I am an in-frequent substance user, an abuser none the less.
I am comfortable with sharing this information, because I have ownership of my own life, and I have respect for myself and those around me. What is it that almost brings a tear to my eye when I see two fully grown men struggling to light a cigarette on a train platform? That tear is formed because I know that as much as I would like to, I can’t help those guys – they need to help themselves. Why don’t they know that helping themselves, helps everyone?
What is different about me – someone who can take mind altering drugs, have the time of my life, yet realise exactly what they do to my body – enough to have respect for myself and those around me, enough to know when to quit? If only I could share my strength with the rest of the world – empower them to help themselves… to help everyone.
I know the responsibility of drug use rest’s on my shoulders alone. I can’t blame anyone but myself should I encounter a problem!
Is it social pressure that makes people take heroin, or drink copious amounts of alcohol? Are the precarious situations that addicts find themselves in a predicament to be blamed on society? In some cases, I would most certainly say yes, but only in extreme cases. Not once have I seen society force a needle into ones veins, or powder into ones nose, or drink down ones throat.
Junkies and alcoholics obviously have a problem, and unfortunately, most of them really don’t want to be helped. Fortunately, there are some that do, and guys like Imajinit, whilst disgruntled, actually help more than they possibly know as explained here.
As characters with respect, both Ock and Imajinit realise that substance abuse is the users’ immediate problem, but it can lead to much worse problems – that’s why Imajinit put the beer away, and that’s why Ock is a reformed alcoholic.
As for the junkies at North Richmond train station, the best I can hope for is that some young child looks at me, holding myself with dignity, rather than having to ask their parents why ‘those two guys are acting funny’ Those guys are acting funny, because they have no respect.
BAM!!!
This inspired me to write an article on the matter, and I was very happy when I saw Ockhamsrazor’s article on Ism’s. Ock strikes on a very important point, insightful if you will – those that suffer the afflictions of an Ism – it is their own problem. The responsibility to assist yourself rest’s on your own shoulders. To quote Ock Verbatim “The solution therefore is to take ownership of your own life and your own actions and your own consequences and make sure that the way you live is such that you continually and daily make sure that you are continuing in this fashion”
I sometimes fail to see why these people fall into their obvious rut! Like Ock, I consider myself somewhat qualified to comment on the abuse of substances. I am not a recovered substance abuser; I am an in-frequent substance user, an abuser none the less.
I am comfortable with sharing this information, because I have ownership of my own life, and I have respect for myself and those around me. What is it that almost brings a tear to my eye when I see two fully grown men struggling to light a cigarette on a train platform? That tear is formed because I know that as much as I would like to, I can’t help those guys – they need to help themselves. Why don’t they know that helping themselves, helps everyone?
What is different about me – someone who can take mind altering drugs, have the time of my life, yet realise exactly what they do to my body – enough to have respect for myself and those around me, enough to know when to quit? If only I could share my strength with the rest of the world – empower them to help themselves… to help everyone.
I know the responsibility of drug use rest’s on my shoulders alone. I can’t blame anyone but myself should I encounter a problem!
Is it social pressure that makes people take heroin, or drink copious amounts of alcohol? Are the precarious situations that addicts find themselves in a predicament to be blamed on society? In some cases, I would most certainly say yes, but only in extreme cases. Not once have I seen society force a needle into ones veins, or powder into ones nose, or drink down ones throat.
Junkies and alcoholics obviously have a problem, and unfortunately, most of them really don’t want to be helped. Fortunately, there are some that do, and guys like Imajinit, whilst disgruntled, actually help more than they possibly know as explained here.
As characters with respect, both Ock and Imajinit realise that substance abuse is the users’ immediate problem, but it can lead to much worse problems – that’s why Imajinit put the beer away, and that’s why Ock is a reformed alcoholic.
As for the junkies at North Richmond train station, the best I can hope for is that some young child looks at me, holding myself with dignity, rather than having to ask their parents why ‘those two guys are acting funny’ Those guys are acting funny, because they have no respect.
BAM!!!
