True Addiction and Me.

Accepting others for who they are is the easy part. Dealing with their issues and lower-standards of living, makes things complex. I don't consider myself anywhere near a "straight edge" but I rarely drink and I don't do any drugs. I have no interest in it either. I think that it is a lot harder to take life head-on and not subject my body to things that mask the pains of unfortunate-life tolls, but I would rather live in the real world. Although I do consider myself a romantic dreamer, I am still quite able to look at this realistically. I think that a lot of substance abuse comes from people not being strong enough to deal with the reality that life isn't perfect, and never will be. People die, people fall out of love, and people break up constantly, and this is the reality of the world. It can be difficult to swallow that you're going to have your heart broken, and whole world destroyed, many, many times.

Over the years I think I've become a lot more cynical, and sometimes down right mean. But cynicism is usually from a selfish perspective, and I do not think I live entirely selfishly. (Although it could be argue all human-actions are in some sense or another are selfish actions, but I disagree) I think that from my experiences; from being homeless, from being stabbed, from being in jail, that, although those are terrible things, I was still able to exist at certain moral standard. I'm not saying that, that in anyway makes me a better person, but I'm saying that, I cannot pick my friends whom live with very-low-moral standard. Alcoholics, druggies, these are people who are sick and carry an addiction (I speak in terms of addictions, as those who do not seek help or at least try to battle there addiction, and simply embrace it) I feel like they are in a fog between truth and illusion, and the truth scares them too much so they embrace the illusion. Though, I'm not saying these people are low-lives, but I cannot embrace true friendship with them.

The hardest part about life is living it and I will not deal with people who can't be at the standard.