Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Vicodin, Oxycontin, Heroin..OH MY !!

            When it came to Heroin, I used to have this theory…Legalize it, and let all of the stupid people kill themselves off.  Well oh crap!... Those “stupid” people are now the ones I love!  What the heck is going on in America.  Hell the Taliban doesn’t need to attack us, we are slowly killing ourselves off.
            In Fairfield county, Ohio ¼ babies are born addicted to some type of opiate.  (Hows that for a promising Future!) Right now and for the last 2 years drug overdose has been the #1 accidental cause of death in Ohio!  Yeah #1,, beating out car accidents!  Seriously,, when is it gonna stop?
            There is no one out there, no matter what there age, race, or social status who is not affected right now in some way by pills or heroin addiction, weather it be them, a family member, or a friend.  So with soooo many people dealing with such an issue, how is it as a community we are not coming together to help?  There are a few groups locally that are giving a valiant effort to make change, unfortunately without numbers and money, they can not get too far.
            I have a good friend who has lost her son to heroin.  Her and I went to a meeting with some of the city officials, to talk about what can be done, share ideas, figure out how to get community involvement.  They shared with us, their “anonymous questionnaires” they are passing out to students in order to get a better idea of what is going on with teens now days.  (because you know kids, they are sooo honest, they will totally check a box on a questionnaire saying they pop pills and shoot up…..*Serious Sarcasm on this one)  
            There is community dances being planned to celebrate “sober nights” for teens….Okay this is great to have a dance for kids, but where exactly is this helping fight the problem?  You want to give kids something to do sober (other than go to the local mall!) than give this town a recreation center, a youth center, somewhere where they can go any day, not just once every few months for a couple hours.  Sure we have the YMCA, but seriously, how many working class Americans can afford that?  We need someplace kids can go to talk to counselors at anytime for no cost!!!  I remember wanting to talk to my mom when I was growing up about quite a few SERIOUS issues, but the fear of getting into trouble stopped me from ever talking to her, instead like an idiot I listened to my peers. You would think with sooo many people in this community that enough people could VOLUNTEER their time to set up  24 hour teen counciling?   
            And if you’re gonna send people in to talk to kids about addiction, don’t send people in suits and ties, send people who have walked the road and who teens can relate to.  Remember kids are living in an “MTV World”  they are gonna respond more to someone who looks “cool”, someone who can talk to them at they’re level, not someone who looks like a doctor or lawyer.  Yeah I know it sounds ridiculous, but its true.
            I watch the news and see of the ridiculous government spending going on out there, yet I’m not seeing any funding go to stop this epidemic.  Thank god they are slowly cracking down on all the drug dealing doctors, passing out pain pills like their candy, still a long way to go though! We need funding for rehabilitation.  Its not like someone can just wake up one day and say “I don’t want to do pills/heroin anymore”  There is a severe physical and mental addiction, that requires medical help in most cases.  Unfortunatly until the community raises their voices, and gets active on the issue, the problems going to keep getting worse.  
            My best friend lost her mother recently to an overdose.  I watched her struggle with her moms addiction since we were kids.  Honestly I would say that she was the parent of the relationship.  Then I have my friend who has lost her son.  NO ONE can ever possibly understand when doing pills and heroin how you are not only killing yourself but you are slowly killing your loved ones.  And once that addiction finaly takes you, the battle is just beginning for your loved ones, who are left with no understanding on how things got this far, how they could have done something different, how they can have a piece of you back just to be close to you.  
            There is sooo much more I can say and ramble on about, but the fact of the matter is, its just talk!  And as my daddy always told me,,, “Talk is Cheap”.  Until I/WE DO something, that’s all it will remain, is an idea of change.  

Monday, October 4, 2010

Almost Busted..

 
            I should be nominated for “Mother of the  Year” after this one!  Last night Jake loses yet another tooth.  Oh yeah,, tooth number 5.  Anywho, he is in bed and I am doing dishes, cleaning, writing, the usual, and around 11:30 Jake wakes up having nightmares.  Being the good mommy that I am, I go and crawl into bed with him to help him fall back asleep.  Well big problem….I fell asleep.                  
            Which normally this would be cool, but, not when you are the tooth fairy!
            Jake wakes up with excitement in his eyes. With absolutely no hesitation he jumps up and says, “I wonder what the tooth fairy brought me.”
            This is the point where I’m like “OH SHIT!”..(not really, but I was defiantly thinkin’ it!)  Now I must come up with some elaborate story for why the tooth fairy did not come last night.  Jake lifts his pillow to pull out the tooth still under the pillow, his face filled with disappointment

Jake- Mommy, my tooth is still here?

(Oh No,, think fast, think fast!)

Me-Huh, I cant believe the tooth fairy didn’t come, it must have been all that rain

(first thing that popped in my head?)

Jake-Huh?

Me-Yeah, she probably didn’t want to get her wings all wet.

Jake-No sir Mom! I know the real reason why

(Oh crap, hes on to me, my tooth fairy gig is up!)

Me- whats that ?

Jake- Its because you were in bed with me.  The tooth fairy isn’t gonna come if your there, she knows you’ll wake up and see her.  I don’t want to be mean mommy, but can you sleep in your bed tonight.

(whew…saved!)

Me-Sure Jake J