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__________________________________
Jaelee
Lamar
___________________________________________________
Sixth
Place
I always thought alcohol came in
beautiful bottles. Not beer of course, but the more
expensive wines, brandies, scotches - the cognizance of
design that was put into the physical presentation of the
bottles seemed a waste, considering how she drained them and
threw them away. I've never drunk an incriminating amount of
alcohol. Not because my parents told me not to, not because
of the cheerful quotes printed on my friend's t-shirts from
Christian Camp. It's only because, besides the offensive
taste, I never had a strong desire to. I hardly claim to be
some pure soul devoid of temptation because that would make
this very boring to read - I'm saying I didn't trust my
unconscious body with a group of intoxicated teenagers. I
could only pray I would wake up with the impunity of a
Sharpie mustache. It also might deal with my anal-retentive
tendencies about self-conduct. In my life so many things
have happened and I have watched happen, all of which
without my permission. No one thought to ask me if these
events would inconvenience my plans. And so I think we have
very little in life we can control and guarantee, and
self-conduct is one. Maybe the only thing. I have no input
on how hard it will rain, but I get to choose to grab my
raincoat.
I remember watching her put away
glasses of the amber-colored stuff, because she always had
the good manners to use glasses. She said ladies drink from
glasses. I remember the decay of our talk, the dissolution
of her coherence, the slow, slow, deterioration of my
patience. You see, when she was very drunk, it didn't matter
what you said. You could strip naked and build a fire to
worship some sun god and it would all be lost on her come
morning. So, later into the night, I had less and less
responsibility to nod comfortingly and mumble reassurance,
when she responsibly reassured me she was not indeed drunk.
I remember watching her descend; a slippery, dumb stupor
draped itself on her speech and inhibition as she drew in
more of the liquid and blew out blue smoke from her
cigarette. Her attention darted from subject to distraction
to slurred justification like a slimy fish in a murky
puddle. And she looked at me - her eyes steady over the
cigarette in juxtaposition to the limp gray hair that
flopped over her forehead. She said "You know something?"
and I said what. And she said "I spent my whole life being
loved by everyone, now I'm 62 and nobody wants me." And
I said that's very sad. And she said "Yeah." And she
took another hard drag in and blew it out making a cancerous
curtain between us.
That's my experience with alcohol, I
suppose.
__________________________________
Anonymous
2
__________________________________________________
Second
Place
Some days are more difficult that
others. Sometimes I can still hear her screaming. I don't
want to, believe me. I wish I couldn't see her crying in my
mind every moment of every day. But I do - and it has
changed me.
I used to live with my mother and aunt
and grandmother until I was 11. Those years I grew up
thinking that my family was normal. It was custom to not
come home until 4 in the morning. It was even more common to
not come home at all. In truth every weekend I spent with my
Dad I thought he was the different one - and how I loved
that difference; my wonderful, straight-laced ex-cop father
that had no additions. For a few short days I was happy. I
knew my dad would be there.
One of the worst experiences I had
with alcohol was on my mother and aunt's 32 birthday. I
visited her at my Grandmother's house. I wanted to spend
time with her but she left me alone in the house by myself
almost all night. She was out drinking for her birthday down
the road a few houses. I spent most of that time on the
phone with my dad. He wanted to drive the two hours to come
and pick me up but I wanted to be brave though so I told him
'no' that I was fine. A part of me is almost afraid to admit
it but I also stayed because of a sense of obligation to a
woman with sunken eyes that never really looked at you, with
thinning hair and bones that constantly tried to escape her
skin - that woman was my mother.
It was a time in her life that was bad
for her. Just like every other day when you're addicted;
because you don't see joy. You are uncaring of the things
that are important. She didn't see that her daughter was
there to visit her for the first time in months. She didn't
understand - the one thing we've ever had in common. With my
mother there is a gap, some deep nagging voice that tells me
I don't understand her and she can't understand
me.
Alcoholism is not taken as seriously
as it should. My mother was so bad that she once crashed
into a tree almost killing herself and still she did not
stop. Addicts cannot see the good in life, so they lack the
motivation to change, even when they lose the things that
should mean the most, their jobs, their families, eventually
their lives.
I always wished, with everything I've
ever had, that my mother had no addictions; that her father
and her father's father had not been affected by the same
disease. Alcohol addiction is a disease. When alcohol is
abused in can not only ruin your life but everyone else's
life that you care about.
I'm not going to describe the 'devil
that lives in the bottle' or go as far as the
prohibitionists do. Alcohol is not the devils lure for
people. Some really good people just cannot take it in
moderation. I have learned after watching my mother stumble
into the front door at 2:30 in the morning and promptly
collapse onto the floor begging for god to take her life. It
was one of the most horrific events of my life; my mother
crying on the floor pleading for her life to just be over.
Screaming and shrieking that she wasn't happy, that she had
nothing or no one to life for. I often find myself asking
"what about me?" Was I not good enough of a reason to
want to live?
My mother and I have no contact,
because of the choice that she makes. I just can't live my
life with her as a part of it, it causes too much grief.
Trying to live your life around someone that is addicted is
sometimes too much effort I know it was for me. I just
cannot do it.
The one positive that I can firmly say
has helped me from my mother's addiction is that I know I
will never want to drink. I will never do to my family what
she has always and forever done to hers. Alcohol is not
evil, it's not good, it is just another thing people use for
entertainment, in a world that has become increasingly
boring for most.
__________________________________
Anonymous
3
___________________________________________________
Alcohol has controlled
and killed over 39,701 in the past three years. It has
destroyed families, killed loved ones, and been a gateway
drug to most. To all those that suffered from this disease
of alcoholism they never put a number on how many other
people it emotionally affects as well. One of the hardest
positions to be in is the enabler or the person who gets the
repercussions of an elder one drinking. It is probably the
worst position I have ever been in, and I wish to be out of
it every day.
Alcohol has affected
my life in a way where I feel unsafe to go home at night.
When you are the child of an adult that has a serious
drinking problem you tend to be the blame for everything. I
not only have the fear of my mother getting hurt one day but
the worst thought is of my sister having the problem as
well. I slowly see her getting into things she should not be
doing, but there is not anyone there to see what is
happening to her. I dreadfully fear my mother's safety and
what is to come of my sister's future. The fear of me
getting hurt emotionally is nothing compared to my fear I
have for the rest of my family and what this is doing to all
of them.
What happens to me
when I get home is everyone acts like nothing is wrong with
our family, like nothing even happens with us after eight
o'clock. My mom makes dinner while my dad watches television
and we wait for my sister to get home to eat. We wait and I
help out my mom with dinner, while my dad drinks his Bush in
front of the television. Once we all sit down to eat my dad
has a glass of wine to pose like he has not been drinking
for the past two hours. An argument will almost always break
out between my father and sister then he will go out to the
garage by himself and take hard liquor. We all separate into
our rooms until my dad will fit and fester up what makes him
angry, then he will come into my room ready to do something
about it. I always get the aftermath of whatever makes
him mad, I do not sleep because I'm always arguing with him
or hearing him scream at my sister.
I know what it is like
to have a father who needs serious help but will not do
anything about it because he does not think he has a
problem. My mother, sister and I have all moved out
about a year ago and he lives alone. He did absolutely
nothing to try to get his family back, and that is what
upsets me the most. My parents divorced a year after we
moved out and he continues to drink. To this day he lives
alone and my biggest fear is that one day he will go too far
and I could find him dead.
__________________________________
Anonymous
4
___________________________________________________
Fourth
Place
How has alcohol affected my
life? I personally have many experiences where alcohol
has played a major part in my life. Most people overlook how
serious alcohol can be to one's health. From past experience
I found that it is life threatening. I have seen people have
a had reaction to drinking too much before and it was so
scary I didn't know what to do. That changed how I imagined
alcohol consumption.
About five or six yeas ago I was about
ten years old, while my sister was 17 years old. My parents
had gone out of town for the weekend to go have fun
somewhere. While they were out of town my sister got a
bottle of UV vodka, I didn't think much of it. After we
had been home alone for a while, it was dark outside with
nothing to do, and that's when my sister got her bottle of
UV out and started drinking it. After over half the bottle
was gone I knew something bad was going to happen. That's
when my sister started fading in and out of consciousness
and saying she could not breathe. I was so scared I didn't
know what to do. I had to keep her awake in fear of her
falling asleep and stop breathing. The next day I found out
that she had alcohol poisoning and was very ill.
This affected my life in a way I can't
explain. I hope I never have to see anyone go through this
again. It was terrifying seeing somebody stop breathing and
going in and out of consciousness. I was so young I had no
idea what to do. When this was happening I called my parents
and they told me what I needed to do. I was not in trouble,
but my sister was grounded forever. Even though my sister
was grounded, she thanked me for calling my parents, because
that could have been what helped her stay alive.
_________________________________
Anonymous
5
__________________________________________________
Fifth
Place
Alcohol affects many people
differently. Some may feel great, others feel sick, but all
the dangers are the same when it comes to drinking. Not only
are you messing with your brain, you are poisoning your
entire body. Your liver, kidneys, heart, brain and
everything in between. Alcohol is a killer because of the
harmful side effects, and not only that, but in the way the
individual reacts to alcohol. A little story of my
experience will explain.
My buddies and I decided to go to a
party not too far from town. We had been planning it for a
few weeks now and were starting to get anxious. We hopped in
my truck and headed out. The whole ride we were getting more
and more excited. Finally we arrived at our destination,
proceeded inside, and immediately started drinking. The
party started out as one of the most fun nights of my life.
I was laughing with my friends, meeting new friends, and
throwing back a few getting loose.
As the night grew older there was some
tension building throughout the house I could tell who was
smashed and who was not by the way they were acting. There
was this one guy who for some reason was getting really
irritated with another. He was yelling at him, telling
people he was going to hit him, and threatening the buy
himself. The situation was getting worse as the first guy
started to punch walls causing his knuckles to bleed. The
second guy was so belligerent that he had no clue what was
going on and was not helping the situation at all. I took
him and sat him on the couch trying to get him to sleep so
the night would cool off.
Everything seemed to be fine until I
found out that the guy I sat on the couch was throwing up. I
picked him up and carried him to a bedroom, cleaned him off
and got him a bucket. Then the kid who was angry earlier
came in and proceeded to start yelling, cursing, and
threatening the guy I had just got settled. At this time I
had lost all self-control. I exploded. I was yelling,
threatening and cursing. Some others heard me and came to
see what was going on. Some were freaked out by my ranting
and others were trying to help me. I never hit him, but I
have never been so close.
Finally, the night had seemed to calm
and I needed to go to my truck to cool off. While I was
meditating, my buddy came up and told me to come back inside
because two of my other buddies were fighting. I ran back
inside and saw one of my friends bleeding and the other had
his shirt ripped off breathing heavy.
At that moment I realized we needed to
leave so I grabbed my buddies, all of us pretty drunk, went
to my truck, started it up, and drove us all home. Driving
probably was not a good decision but I was not thinking
clearly and that seemed to be the logical thing to do at the
time.
Alcohol is a mind bender. I makes best
friends become enemies and enemies become best friends.
Dangerous things can happen when you put alcohol into the
mix, but one thing to remember is, just stay away from it.
The best way to avoid dumb, drunken headaches like this one
is to not go at all. No matter who is there, no matter what
you have been told. The best thing that could happen is you
get a buzz; the worst thing that can happen is someone ends
up in jail, a hospital, or a coffin.
__________________________________
Andrew
Tygart
__________________________________________________
I think alcohol
is a good thing and a bad thing. Alcohol is bad when it is
abused, but when it is not abused, it is a good thing. There
is nothing wrong with having a beer after a long
day.
I personally think
that Brookings Harbor High School cares too much about what
their students do on the weekends. I think it is none of
their business if I have to have a beer on Friday night; it
is my life. If the school wasn't trying to "crack down" on
drugs and alcohol and getting kids in trouble for what they
do off school grounds maybe less kids would do drugs and
alcohol. After going to school for a week and putting up
with all the school's shenanigans, it just makes me want to
have a nice cold beer.
I am sure there are a
lot of kids that abuse alcohol but there are also a lot of
kids that drink responsibly. Who cares if some kids want to
play beer pong and have a good time? The cops should
focus on worse crimes like robbery, murder, gang related
violence and so on. High school students are always going to
drink alcohol; you can try to stop it, but they will find a
way to continue drinking, partying, and having a good old
time.
__________________________________
Heidi
Aguirre
___________________________________________________
In my generation
kids have had every influence that drugs are a big game and
that alcohol makes you cool. In reality the only reason
movies make things like that is because if they didn't they
would have no movie. Their story line would be bland and
they would lose money. Music has many different variations
of influences, that all depends on what you listen to and
how you let their words effect you. Clothing isn't a huge
deal because you can choose not to buy the item, in reality
you know that's true. We all have a choice of what movies to
watch, what music to listen to and what clothes to wear.
Granted it is what you make of your choice and how you let
society effect your decisions in your life.
I believe I have not
been influenced by the things or people around me. If I
wanted to go out and party I would. I am a strong girl with
many things to do in her life and will not be stopped by
some influential music message or television script. The way
I see it the world is spiraling downward and has tried to
influence many things not only through music, movies and
clothing but through magazines and photography.
I am a very
opinionated young lady and have not shut myself out of the
world because of the influences in my life and in society.
The way I choose to guard myself is by living my life the
way I want and having the courage to be strong enough to sit
out of dumb decisions that most teens make in their high
school years. I have surrounded myself with people and
things that keep me from acting out with drinking and being
rebellious. My life will be lived by no one else but
me.
__________________________________
Anonymous
8
__________________________________________________
I
was 5 years old the first time I met my grandma whom lived
in New Jersey. Being so young, I was unable to realize the
problems she had with alcohol. My dad was quite aware of the
addiction that had taken over her life; it had been around
his whole life. She was rarely sober for his
childhood.
My dad decided it was
best that my grandma moved closer to him so he could make
sure she was taken care of. I remember being 11 when she
moved into a trailer park near my family. We were sitting
there anxiously waiting for her to arrive. We were waiting
for the woman who had missed almost our whole childhood, the
woman who barely knew us. I was so excited to finally get to
know this stranger.
At first everything
was normal or so I thought. I was still unaware of her
disease at this stage in my life. My sister and I were
excited to go over to grandma's house. As the years went on,
those visits became less and less existent. By the time I
was 13 we rarely saw my grandma. I finally realized she had
a problem with drinking and I dreaded being around her while
she was under the influence, so that was pretty much every
occasion. She was an emotional drunk who would start crying
at the drop of a hat.
There was an occasion
where we were having a Thanksgiving dinner which he had
cooked. After dinner my sister and I had been asked to do
the dishes, which we didn't mind doing. She was drunk as
usual and started yelling at my dad because it was her mess
to clean up. She started crying and telling him he is
"putting us through hell."
After my sister and
I quickly finished the dishes I went to my room and
cried because that was the first time I had ever seen my
grandma act like that. It maddened me that she would yell at
my dad like that. Although it was the first time it wasn't
the last. Over the past few years my dad and her have gotten
into arguments which have resulted in lots of half hearted,
slurred word, tear felt apologies left on our answer
machine.
There have been
incidents where she hides alcohol all over her house, where
we have had to go in and find her bottle and dump them out.
Times where she poured alcohol into mouth wash and would
gargle this supposed "mouth wash". After wrecking her car
for the third time in 6 months she finally was put into jail
for drunk driving. Right after she was release she still
found ways to get to the store to buy her poison.
To this day this woman
whom I was so excited to get to know is a nonexistent being.
I haven't spoken with her in a year or so. She will never
realize that her selfish behavior has impacted her loved
ones so much. There is one good thing that came out of her
moving here. I have not drank and have no desire to because
I have seen the affect it has on people. For that I am
thankful.
_________________________________
Anonymous
9
__________________________________________________
What is alcohol other than a parasite
slithering through the intestines of life? What is
alcohol other than a destructive force that demolishes
people's morals and values? What is alcohol other than
a horrific beverage that is abused by the majority of
consumers?
Sure, alcohol can be relatively
beneficial in small doses. However, in reality, how many
individuals drink it to improve their overall
health? That is probably next to no one. Most people
imbibe alcohol for sheer pleasure. They want an endorphin
rush that causes them to physically feel better. Some may
even drink to cope with their stressful lives. Young people
often drink to conform to what their peers see as "being
cool."
It is relatively depressing that so
many students give in to the peer pressure we have been
taught about since elementary school. It seems students
often forget some vital information that needs to be
retained. Peer pressure is dished out in copious amounts in
almost every situation that involves thinking in high
school. Nobody is ever going to beat you up for not
drinking; that is a huge understatement. The pressure we
feel is internal. It is a complex feeling that fluctuates in
our heads every time we are put into a situation. Saying no
is not physically a difficult task to do; however, mentally,
it can be very difficult to wrap your heard around a
conclusion that benefits you in every possible aspect.
Saying no could cause you to feel like a "loser" even if you
are not even being pressured. That low self-esteem could
transform into worse stuff later on in life. Remember, many
young people lack self-discipline and struggle with logical
thinking. Experienced people must continue to enlighten them
about the negative consequences of drinking
alcohol.
On another note, adults have little
room to talk. The drinking age is twenty-one. Everyone knows
this. Does that give adults the right to drink the toxic
beverage? Adults have just as lame excuses for their
actions as children do. Teens and adults drink for basically
the same reasons. The only difference is it is legal for
adults. No matter what age you are, alcohol is
harmful.
In the end, what is
alcohol? Alcohol is a malevolent substance brewed to
set the mind askew in an attempt to create an alternate
reality. Alcohol is a gateway to more malicious substances.
Alcohol is a regretful morning after a late night. Alcohol
is a fatal car accident that could have been prevented.
Alcohol is the life in prison you never wanted. Alcohol is a
bruised child acting up in class. Alcohol is a birth defect
that no one deserved. Alcohol is the dark side of a usually
bright face. Alcohol is a broken home with a broken family.
Alcohol is a mother crying at her son's funeral that
happened before hers. Alcohol could be the death of
you.
__________________________________
Anonymous
10
___________________________________________________
Growing up I have always known that
alcohol was bad. Not necessarily bad for the consumer, but
everyone around the consumer. Alcohol does hurt
everyone...children, spouses, siblings, parents, friends,
everyone.
Being from a family of drinkers, both
recovered and non-recovered, I know drinking is bad.
However, I did not understand why someone would start to
drink if it was bad.
When I was in the seventh grade, I
made friends with a girl whose father never locked his
drinking cabinet. She was drawn toward it almost every
weekend. Growing up, I was offered sips of alcohol since I
was fairly young and an unlocked drinking cabinet did not
excite me. For nearly two years of my friendship with this
girl, she drank often. Occasionally I would split a wine
cooler with her, but I never found drinking too
intriguing.
As our friendship, and time,
progresses, my friend started drinking more often, even on
week nights. I never told her not to, only that I did not
want to drink.
My friend soon began to smoke pot,
which I had drawn the line at. I never once gave into the
pressure my 'friend' put on me to smoke. I'm very proud that
I never gave in.
Eventually, we started to grow apart.
Slowly at first, then after one weekend we stopped
altogether. My friend went to a party with a bunch of older
kids. She told me briefly about it... She was drinking a lot
and took some type of hard drug, heroin I think. She woke up
next to some guy in the morning with no recollection of what
happened.
The next time I saw this girl we were
no longer friends. Once we got to high school she quickly
dropped out. She no longer lives in the area and I have no
idea what her life is like now. I assume she is still
drinking and smoking pot, I hope she is not on anything
worse. Maybe if the bottle was taken from her back then, she
would not have had a pipe, or a needle, in her now.
_________________________________
Anonymous
11
__________________________________________________
Through out her childhood, Sarah's
father was an alcoholic. While her mother would get to work,
Sarah and her sibling would stay home with their dad. Her
father would drink all day and watch football and make sure
they were quiet. Whenever they made noise like a dry, he
would beat the oldest son, Daniel, who wasn't even his
child.
One day when the family was staying at
their Grandpa's, Sarah had forgotten to drain the tub after
she got dressed. Her father goes so made he dragged her to
the bathroom by her hair, she screamed and cried, but her
siblings and her mother were too scared. Sarah was forced on
her knees and he screamed at her to clean the tub. She sat
there and cried, and he hit her. Finally she cleaned it but
he still yelled at her for putting up a fight. That night
she cried herself to sleep.
A few years later (after her parents
were split for a long time), her father came to visit her
and her younger brother. Things were going fine until they
got in a fight. She doesn't even remember what it was about.
She tried to run outside to hide by her mom, but he blocked
the doorway and yelled at her. He grabbed her wrist when she
tried to run, and she went black and screamed "Don't touch
me!!" she hit him and ran to her room.
Sarah has told me that she will never
drink alcohol in her life because her father had beaten her
and her family. She said, "It got so bad I hit him...I can't
believe that I hit him...I sunk to his level."
__________________________________
Whitney
Floyd
____________________________________________________
Seventh
Place
Alcohol has affected my life in many
ways. I'm sure it has affected nearly everyone's lives.
During my senior year alcohol had a huge impact on my
varsity basketball team. In the beginning of the basketball
season our team was stacked with four returning seniors, and
many talented juniors and underclass girls. A few games in,
one of our seniors quit. It was one loss, so we had to learn
to work around it.
A few weeks in and the start of the
season was right around the corner. New Years got the best
of three of our four junior players. The next practice was a
horrible one: getting the news that one of our starters and
two other players would be on probation for a month for
getting M.I.P.s, with the season starting the next week.
Once again it was a hard blow to the team; the bench was
getting shorter so we had to change our lineup and game plan
tremendously. A few weeks into season, on an undefeated
record, our home game against the top team in league got
canceled due to weather and was moved to the following
Monday.
After practice everyone went home, and
we got the phone call the next day that our best three point
shooter/senior and starting sophomore received M.I.P.s that
night while driving around. That was the end of the world,
down six players, five to M.I.P.s before the biggest game of
the season. Right before the game, we all got the news that
another player quit because she was upset she wasn't
starting. The game was a tough loss for the team, but we
worked around all the losses and finished second in league.
The lesson was to learn from other people's
mistakes.
__________________________________
Anonymous
13
__________________________________________________
Personally, I do not drink. I never
have and I am seventeen years old. I don't party, nor do I
do drugs. All of this is because of what I have seen it do
to my father.
He is there when I ask him to be,
usually, and I see him during the holidays and special
occasions. But that is it. Did I mention that he lives less
than five minutes from my house? When we don't get
together for a while, it always seems to end up being no
ones fault but mine. It is something that I say I get used
to, but in all reality, the longer it goes on, the more I
feel screwed up and like it actually is my fault. Like I
deserve it. Which is why my own father wants nothing to do
with me.
My father is an alcoholic. He has left
his children with their mothers. Me with mine, my sisters
with his ex-wife. He traded all of it because he was drunk
every waking moment. Scratch that. IS drunk every
waking moment. No, he has never hit any of us or yelled
uncontrollably for no reason at all. But knowing that he is
only a few miles away and still doesn't bother to reach out
to me or my sisters, that hurts too.
Throughout seeing how it has affected
him though, it has shown me something that I never want
to become. I do not want to be the parent who blames my
daughter for my problems and my mistakes. But I suppose
since we don't speak, this is his saved, "Don't drink"
speech.
For one thing and one thing only do I
thank my father for and that is this: I know how it
feels to be forgotten by someone who you are supposed to
mean everything to. So thank-you, dad, for making me a
strong, young woman with goals and dreams that can put my
own life, health, and the people I care about
first.
__________________________________
Anonymous
14
__________________________________________________
I am 17 and in high school. My story
is not about the devastation of what doing drugs does to
you, it is about why most teens do it. There is and will
always be peer pressures that you face; pressures about
drugs, alcohol, what to wear, who to hang out with, what
music to listen to, and many more faced daily. Adults always
try to relate to us by talking about their days of high
school or their choices. However things aren't like that
anymore; today, you are nobody unless you participate and
follow the leaders, the popular, or the wealthy.
I personally have chosen not to drink
until I am of legal age; also, I have chosen not to do
drugs, not even pot. Because of these decisions, I have
struggled having and keeping friends I grew up with; our
choices change and many cannot stay strong against the
pressure and don't want to hang out with those what don't
drink or do drugs. It has also been difficult finding my
place in this town since most choose drinking and drugs.
Being strong and just "saying no" is not as easy as the
words imply. Sometimes doing the right thing or the proper
thing leaves you lonely and an outcast, as I often
feel.
I am a strong individual and it has
been hard not going to the parties; not being part of the
"in" crowd. Sometimes my attitude to stay strong is
perceived as unkind or not caring; but I do care and I do
have feelings.
I have come to terms with this choice
and have adjusted. Instead of worrying about what the best
beer is, where to get it, choose which party to go to, where
the drugs are, and who can I buy them from, I force all my
energy on school work and the upcoming years of my
life.
When faced with joining in, I say no
and hope to get through high school. Not many continue to
pressure me after a few no's. I look them dead in the eye
every time and stand firm against it. If you feel strongly
enough about something then hopefully no amount of pressure
should change your decision.
Alcohol is attracting younger kids as
time goes by. When you are young, your main goal is to be in
the cool crowd, some children will do whatever it takes to
fit in. That's when the parents need to instill in their
children how to be independent and that there are much
bigger things outside of Brookings for them.
It is often stated that the
valedictorian is the only one to remember who the
valedictorian is and the high end jocks will be bald and fat
by the time their 10 year reunion comes around. So kids in
the generations to come need to realize that fitting in and
being in the cool crowd may make you feel good for a few
years out of your life. However, addiction and brain damage
lasts for a lifetime.
So I ask the younger
generation: Are you really willing to sacrifice both
your future and who you are for a small portion of your life
drinking and getting high?
Anonymously written to stay
strong...
__________________________________
Anonymous
15
__________________________________________________
Alcohol has affected me in several
ways. I have read books, been around it and have seen my
friends suffer from it. It is devastating to see and I wish
with all my heart that I never have to see it. I have seen
it though and it hurts me to know that some of my close
friends have to go through such devastating things. Alcohol
can turn the world's greatest men into the world's most
notorious scoundrels. As you can see, I am against alcohol
and wish it never had to go through people's lives. I have
one friend in particular that has had to go through with it
his entire life, with both parents.
We will call this certain person Jim
(not his real name). He is a fairly good and solid student,
being very involved in school activities and sports. He is
currently eighteen and a senior in high school. Both of his
parents are alcoholics. Him never says anything about it at
school and usually does not like to talk about it or alcohol
in person. Sure, he has experimented with alcohol and has
come to hate it immensely and vows he will never touch it.
His parents are the best parents during the day, but at
night, when they get home from work, this all changes. They
come home and make a B-line to the fridge for their alcohol.
They drink wine, beer, and even harder liquor such as vodka
and rum. They do this every single day and do not even think
twice about it.
What did Jim do to deserve
this? Did he do something to anyone that would make him
deserve it? He says no. His outstanding track record
and unblemished police record gives one a great reason to
believe him. Jim goes to school, gets his good grades, and
performs marvelously at his sports. Do you ever see his
parents at his games? No you don't. They are usually at
home or at a bar. Someone like Jim does not deserve this. No
one deserves it. It kills me to see such a great person have
to go through his childhood living with
alcoholics.
If you tried to ban alcohol, like they
tried to do during the Probation Era, you would see a mad
house effect like you did then, with the bootleggers.
Alcohol will never be able to be banned, and with it, the
effect it puts on people. It is not fair to people. I
believe that individuals should try their best to try and
refrain from drinking. In my opinion, alcohol is no
different than any other drug. It kills people doesn't
it? It messes up people's bodies, it kills brain cells.
Alcohol is no different than pot, or meth. No one should
have to deal with it.
__________________________________
Anonymous
16
__________________________________________________
First
Place
"Shots! Shots! Shots!" These
were the last words I remember hearing before blacking out
the last time I drank alcohol. I was like every other
typical teenager in Brookings. I was young, bored, and
curious. My three year relationship with my boyfriend had
ended, and I was not only bored and curious now, but also
hurt. Where did I turn? To alcohol, of course. The more
parties I went to the more my tolerance for alcohol was
built up and also the more I changed who I was.
I loved the feeling that most people
get when they drink. The comfortable, invincible feeling
that makes you act and do things you wouldn't normally do. I
didn't care what happened or the crazy things I'd do at
parties because I was having fun and "letting loose." All of
my friends partied and no one bothered to tell me to stop or
slow down, they loved watching me be a drunken idiot. Every
weekend turned into the same sticky blur and waking up the
next morning saying "I can't believe you did "blank" last
night!" Then of course, there was the one party that changed
everything.
It was just like every other weekend,
the same group of friends, same place, and the same routine.
After numerous games of beer pong and a few shots, I was
belligerently drunk. Shots after shots were being handed to
me left and right and finally the last foggy thing I
remember was blacking out cold. There I was, waking up, only
remembering some of what happened. My friends had to fill me
in on the night and I was appalled at what had happened. I
had absolutely no recollection of the huge mistake I had
made. It was a regret that will be with me for the rest of
my life. What happened was one of the biggest eye-openers
I've ever had.
After this party, I chose to stop
drinking for good. It took one huge mistake for me to
realize that I had turned into someone that I didn't ever
know anymore. A completely different person all formed and
influenced by the bitter taste of alcohol. I am very proud
to say that I have chosen to not drink since then, and am
strong enough to say no. I encourage other kids not to fall
into what I did and to be comfortable about themselves
without the alcohol. Everyone has the choice to drink or
not, and my only hope is that I inspire people to make the
right one with my story and how it affected my
life.
________________________________
Anonymous
17
_______________________________________________
Alcohol. A poison many teens decide to
drink, simply because they think it is cool. In today's
society more and more teens are consuming alcohol.
Why? There are many reasons, teens drink because they
think more people will like them or accept them, it's cool,
there is nothing else to do, it gives them a thrill to rebel
and go against the law, and then there can also be peer
pressure. Teens who are peer pressured basically drink to
fit in. Even if they don't want to do it they don't want to
upset their friends and lose them or even lose their
reputation.
I'm proud to say that I have not
fallen into this category. I have never put myself in a
situation where I am exposed to alcohol and can be peer
pressured into drinking. People may call me goody-two-shoes,
but that's not it, I just know better. I know the effects it
can have, death being one of them. Sorry, but I would rather
live and have fun another way, than risk my life. Teenagers
don't realize that you don't need alcohol to have fun or
make friends. There are many other fun things to do you just
need to go out there and find things to do and make them
fun. Have an imagination, be a kid, and stop trying to grow
up so fast. You have the rest of your life for that. You can
only be a kid for so long.
Even though I have not been a part of
parties and drinking I know many people who are. I've had
really close friends who have turned to drinking for many
reasons. I have tried helping them many times, telling them
that they don't need to do that, but it seemed whatever I
did they wouldn't or didn't want to listen to me. They will
just keep doing it until they either get caught or very
close to it. It will stop them only for a while until they
decide to do it again. It's really hard seeing one or more
of your good friends just slowly fade away from
you.
I know my parents are proud of me and
it's a good feeling. I just wish other people would look at
the long and short term effects it can have on them and make
the right choices, so they could have this feeling too. On
my twenty first birthday I will be happy to say that I
waited till I am twenty-one to have my first
drink.
_________________________________
Anonymous
18
________________________________________________
As a student at BHHS, I have been in
quite a few situations where alcohol was presented to me. As
a freshman and sophomore, I tended to reject the offer and
sit back while my friends and people they did not even know
drank together Every time, things started out well; people
were socializing, getting to know one another, indulging in
their alcohol. This is the time that I enjoyed, when
everyone was loosened up and it was relaxed, giving me the
impression that alcohol is a good thing. This is when I
forgot what was going to happen, what always
happens.
Someone disappears, passing out drunk
in a bathroom, in a backyard, behind some trees, wherever
they can go and puke without being harassed by the other
drunken people. They are alone and miserable for the
remainder of the night. Someone says something wrong to
another or their girl, they aren't having it, and someone
throws a punch. Now, as one of the only sober people around,
I have an obligation to try and control this madness. It
never works. In their drunker rage, they are inconsolable;
no one can help them, except time to sober up. The next
morning, everyone is sluggish, trying to arrange the events
of the night in their mind. There is an awkward air about as
everyone recalls the drama of the night before. Typically,
there is a mess created by the whole party, whether in the
woods, the river or a house. But only a select few are
responsible enough to clean it. All this, just for a couple
hours of fun. This happens somewhere in town every weekend,
sometimes during the week.
Now, as a senior, still aware of these
things, I have given in to the pressure my peers put on me
to drink. I have given in and I am now just like the people
I looked down on as a young teen. I am the one passing out
by myself, puking, lonely. I am the one getting in a fight
because someone upset me or vice versa. I wake up with a
hangover. I don't clean the mess I helped create. I am the
one being consoled. As hard as it is to admit, I must speak
honestly and say this: the 'lower classmen' who don't
drink and try to help us, who we make fun of for not
partaking in our 'fun', they are the responsible ones. They
have the right idea.
If all juniors and seniors, including
myself, could realize this and learn from it, maybe we could
spread the knowledge to our friends and get alcohol to be
less of a problem in our little coastal town. But no, we are
too hardheaded and naive. I wish I could see the full
meaning behind my words. If but one person will read this
and learn from it, I will have done what I can to help our
community become a better place.
_________________________________
Anonymous
19
________________________________________________
I didn't take my very first sip
of alcohol until my Freshman year of high school. Not
because of peer pressure, or wanting to look cool, but
because I wanted to know what it tasted like. It tasted
terrible, but somehow I kind of liked drinking it. I went to
a couple parties at the beginning of that year, but didn't
ever get drunk, and that was that.
It's pretty sad, being a Senior in
school now, and seeing even the
MIDDLE SCHOOLERS drinking, and partying, and
smoking, and getting sent into the hospital for
over-drinking. Back in the day, I didn't want to get super
drunk and do irresponsible things every weekend, I wanted to
go dye my hair crazy colors, and find new music to listen
to.
The first time I actually got drunk
was this year, and it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. It
kind of sucks when your eyes aren't going the same speed as
your head, every thing seems louder than usual, and you just
want to sleep when all everyone else wants to do is dance,
go outside, and laugh hysterically. Being drunk is almost
like being in that state of tiredness when you become
slightly hyper, and want to sit around and jump up and down
but can't do it all at once. Except that antsy feeling lasts
for about 10 times as long (depending on how much you drink,
of course.)
I've been around plenty of people that
drink or smoke directly in front of me, and it doesn't
bother me one bit. I've gone to parties before where people
are drinking and smoking, and have made the choice that I
just don't want to. Some people think that it's an epidemic
within the teenage society, others say that us kids don't
have a choice, but instead we're pressured. Of course we
have a choice! We're conscious beings that can make our
own decisions, and that's exactly what we do. Drinking is a
choice. I, personally, don't get the point of alcohol. Maybe
it's just because I'm a beginner, which is a horrible thing
to say, but it's got some truth behind it. As you can see,
people have told me that my points of view towards alcohol
and other substances are completely contradictory, and I
agree with them, they totally are. But I'm a teenager, and
I'd rather just go along my busy business, and whatever
happens, happens. Everything happens for a reason,
right?
__________________________________
Melissa
Wilson
___________________________________________________
We constantly hear stories about the
horrors of alcohol, and for good reason. Excessive alcohol
consumption is a monumental problem in today's society,
contributing to everything from domestic abuse and emotional
scars to death by drunk drivers and a myriad of health
issues. However, we rarely hear about the benefits of
moderate drinking, and according to some of the most
respected medical clinics in the country, these benefits are
considerable.
Many people partake in a glass of red
wine daily, believing that wine has unique properties that
will aid in the maintenance and overall well being of their
bodies. The real question, though, is does it actually
work? The fact of the matter is, it just
might.
The Duke University Health System
reports that decreased consumption of saturated and trans
fats, increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and
olive oil, in conjunction with no more than one or two
drinks a day can lower the risks of coronary heart
disease.
Interestingly, the average French diet
is much higher in saturated fat than the rest of Europe's,
though the occurrence of heart disease in France is
relatively low. This phenomenon, called the "French
paradox," is believed to directly correlate with their
tradition of moderate wine consumption. The current thought
is that the high levels of antioxidants in red wine and the
copious amounts of fruits and vegetables that the French eat
contribute to their remarkably low levels of heart
disease.
Moderate drinking, defined as one
drink per day, improves cardiovascular health. According to
the Mayo Clinic, moderate drinking may decrease the risk of
developing heart disease, reduce the risk of having a heart
attack, and decrease the risk of developing
gallstones.
Alcohol can be beneficial or negative,
depending on the way it is used. When used appropriately, it
can improve health. When used inappropriately, it can result
in consequences that individuals will have to cope with for
the rest of their lives.
__________________________________
Anonymous
21
__________________________________________________
Brookings, Oregon is a beautiful town,
but also a town where there isn't a lot for teens to do.
They began experimenting with drugs and alcohol at a young
age. I am not a teenager who drinks, but that doesn't mean I
am not affected by alcohol. I have watched classmates get
suspended, expelled, come to school after spending that
morning drinking and lose the sport that they once
loved.
I am alcohol free for two
reasons: watching my parents and watching the affect it
has on my friends. Growing up my parents very rarely drank
unless it was a holiday or birthday; even then I never saw
them drunk. I know that other kids are not as lucky as I was
and who were greatly affected growing up. Peer pressure is
everywhere you look. What to wear, do and say are influenced
by others and the greatest influence to try alcohol are the
people we trust the most; our friends. Pro-alcohol content
is everywhere in the media in movies, songs we listen to and
clothes some chose to wear. As teens we want to be accepted,
maybe even for someone we aren't.
Alcohol opens the door to other
substance abuse, like marijuana. Teens become curious about
the drug but don't realize the effects of it. Not only the
health of the body, but also relationships, academics and
the person's safety are in harm. Alcohol changes the way a
person's body and mind works because of the chemicals in it.
As teenagers our school tries to persuade us into putting a
stop to substance abuse and taking the stance to be drug
free. Although the assemblies, stories and videos have an
impact on most, a handful laugh at it, saying it will never
happen to them.
Walking into Brookings Harbor High
School freshmen year I made a promise to myself, a promise I
have carried with me all four years. That promise was to be
drug free. Instead of focusing on what party is happening
next weekend I stayed on top of my grades and am now
graduating in the top ten percent of my class. I am not
perfect; I have been persuaded by friends and have drank a
couple times, but nothing that harmed or affected my life or
judgment. Choosing to be drug free gives me respect among my
friends and they sometimes tell me that if I were to ever
get drunk they would be disappointed in me; this is coming
from the same friends who had pushed me to drink.
Graduating from high school I will
continue to carry on with my promise, I know I am going
somewhere in life and I will not let alcohol and other drugs
stop me from reaching my goals and dreams.
__________________________________
Anonymous
22
___________________________________________________
There is a man, the man who raised me,
the man that I look up to. There is alcohol, the poison that
controls that man, slowly erasing my father, my hero,
leaving behind the empty shell of a man.
If I could pin down the first time I
knew without a shadow of a doubt that my father had a
problem I would tell you. But I never knew. I never knew
that my hero was so deep into alcohol abuse that my family
began functioning around it. We ignored it, acted as if
nothing was wrong, even went so far as to make excuses for
him. We blamed depression, we blamed ourselves, anything to
keep the blame from him, because after all, he supports us,
and we love him regardless of his problem.
I remember when I was younger; my
biggest birthday wish was for my father to be home and
sober. For ten or more years that was my only wish. I never
voiced my request. I wanted him to just know what I was
thinking and do it. It never happened. Soon the drinking got
worse. Every day I would come home from school and he would
be drunk. The one time I confronted him about it he got very
angry and left, I haven't asked him since.
Alcohol abuse is a sickness; it
affects everyone around the abuser, and hovers like a dark
cloud above the family's heads. We have painfully, yet
artfully constructed a house of glass on our little island
of ice, to the common eye it is a beautiful sight, but we
know better, we know it is simply for show. The ice is thin,
the glass very brittle, one wrong move and everyone will
know. Everyone will see what we have worked so hard to
hide.
One day I will know the man who
alcohol so drastically changed. I will know him as a person
again, not simply as my drunken father. Our lives aren't
perfect, though sometimes I wish they were. I will continue
to wait for better times, I will wait out this sickness, and
I will celebrate the day that it leaves my household at
peace.
__________________________________
Anonymous
23
___________________________________________________
Third
Place
I grew up in a family
that was strong in the church. We would go every Sunday and
always lived by it. I was taught at a very young age that
drugs and alcohol are bad. That's why I never understood why
my dad became an alcoholic.
My father's addiction
never physically affected me, but it hurt me emotionally
when my parents got a divorce. It happened when I was eight
years old. My dad stopped coming home, and was using all of
our money on alcohol and other drugs so my mom made him
leave for good. I didn't fully understand what was going on
because I was so young, but he was hardly home anyway so it
didn't make much of a difference. My mom raised her six
children as a single parent and did an amazing job. When
alcohol really started affecting my life was when my mom
started drinking.
Ever since my parents
filed for divorce, my mom has tried dating a few guys. It
doesn't usually last long. When she started dating Nathan,
she got depressed because he was mean, but she didn't leave
him because she hates being alone. She figured drinking
would relieve some of her stress and sadness. The first time
her drinking really affected me was one night when she
decided to go on a walk after having a few drinks. It got
pretty late so I called her and she didn't pick up. I had my
friends help me try to look for her and I found her down at
the port. When we brought her home, she started puking
everywhere. I was so embarrassed that my friends had to see
her like that.
Another night that she
really upset me was my senior night for cheer leading at my
last football game. She showed up at the last minute, and
was stumbling around. I knew right away that she had been
drinking. I was so frustrated because I didn't
understand why she couldn't just stay sober for one night to
support me. Instead of her escorting me out to the field, I
had to escort her because she could hardly walk. People
knew, and I just cried because I didn't want my senior night
to be like that. She disappeared that night during the game,
and ended up missing out on watching me get crowned
homecoming queen. She was not there to congratulate me,
video tape the experience, or even witness it. It was hard
to even be happy about winning queen because I was so
upset.
Seeing how alcohol has
affected my life just from other people doing it, makes me
never want to be like that. I don't ever want my stupid
choices to make people feel the way I have felt. In a way, I
am glad that I have had those experiences in my life so I
can learn from their mistakes. Sadly, they are bad memories
that I will never forget.
________________________________
Anonymous
24
________________________________________________
Eighth
Place
Throughout my family for many
generations, alcohol has played a role. Too many people have
relied on alcohol to make them feel better, or get through
hard times they may have faced. But hearing those stories
has made me realize that drinking was not for me.
My dad has told me how life was for
him when he was growing up. How his real father was a
horrible alcoholic. He would practically take all the money
that he had worked for and would go our and drink. My
grandmother hardly had enough money to buy them milk, and
having as many children as she did, life was difficult
already. But then when my grandpa would come home from the
bar, he would beat on my grandmother, the most gentle, kind
and loving woman I know. He would beat her so badly because
the alcohol had turned him into a monster. It happened all
too often.
My other grandfather, my mother's dad,
was another alcoholic as well. This story is different in
that he did not beat anyone. But still, he would use all of
the family's money, leaving my grandmother at home with her
three girls with hardly any money to eat. He spent the
majority of his time out at the bars with his friends,
getting wasted. My mom has hardly any good memories with her
father because he was never there for her or her family. And
I, even today, have only a few good memories of him. But
luckily, he has recently joined the AA meetings and has been
off of alcohol for about two years. After more than 30 years
of drinking and missed opportunities to get to know his
family.
Hearing these stories has helped me
realize the person that I don't want to be. These stories
have showed me how I do not want to be that person that is
never around. I want to be a better person than that. I want
to be that person that people can rely on, talk to and have
a relationship with. I want to be that friend that anyone
can come to, whenever they need something. Drinking just
makes you the opposite of all of these
characteristics.
I am lucky that I have been able to
realize these things from other stories. I hope that others
are able to do the same thing and realize that drinking
really doesn't make you any cooler. In fact, I have much
more respect for people that can say no and stand up for
something good.
Drinking isn't worth it. Being a drunk
is not who I want to be.
__________________________________
Anonymous
25
___________________________________________________
Having grown up in a drug free
household my whole life, I don't have any first hand
experiences with drugs and alcohol. I have and will never
know what alcohol does to a person. My only experiences I do
have with cigarettes involve merely walking past people who
smoke and giving the proper, "wow that stinks" face.
Personally I don't know why someone would ever smoke. It is
their choice and I will never push my beliefs onto them, but
you have to wonder what is going through their head. You
can't understand someone till you walk in their shoes
correct?
When I was a little kid my biological
father was an addict of several things, marijuana,
cigarettes, drinking. He did all of this behind my mother's
back of course. He couldn't stand letting people see him for
who he was. He also could not stop doing these drugs. They
had engulfed him and destroyed his reasoning. They turned a
good man into a cheating, lying, and careless person who
only looked for his next high. He lied and got good at it;
my mom could see a change in him but didn't recognize it at
the time. It all happened so fast she was hit from the blind
side in a sense. In one day, one choice after another, he
quickly diverted his path to a complexly new one, a path
that he would regret going down very, very fast. He only had
to try these drugs once to be hooked. Yes, I understand that
it isn't the same for everyone, but is the risk of being
hooked for life on drugs worth it?
My mother divorced him when she found
out what he had done to us, and really she was shocked that
a man growing up being anti drugs could fall into such a
trap. I was only a 1 year old at the time that this all
happened. I don't remember what exactly happened but my mom
has explained it to me several times. I plan on learning
from the mistake he made and never even give drugs or
drinking a chance. I will not put myself in situation that
involve either. I am proud of her, I don't think she knows
it, but I am. It takes a lot to do what she did and if it
wasn't for my step dad we wouldn't be a family, we wouldn't
be out of debt, and I wouldn't have the standards I do. I'm
proud of them both and my "step dad" is truly my father, he
deserves that right and even adopted me to make it official.
I can only hope that others will understand what drugs can
do to you. It may not happen very fast, but it will
eventually happen.
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