Letters to the Editor
jabcatz
Published Letters: 3
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I'm out the door...
[Read the article: Anne Lamott's amazing grace]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Anne Lamott has always been one of my favorite writers, and as soon as I'm finished posting, I'm out the door to get my hands on "Grace..."
But I'm disgusted that people who supposedly "hate" her feel that they need to take the time out to attack someone who has dedicated her life and craft to communicating from such a personal and often vulnerable place. Lamott seems to be humbly attempting to heal her little corner of the world, and then sharing her observations with the rest of us whenever she can. Ever heard, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?"
By the way, I was introduced to Salon when I found out that Lamott was a contributer, and for that I am truly grateful as well.
Now, I've gotta go get me a new book! YAY!
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pot head parents blow
[Read the article: Mom's a pothead]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was raised in a family of jazz musicians that all smoked copious amounts of pot while they seemed to be high functioning and responsible people. When I was 8 years old, I came home from school after seeing one of those "scare-the-shit-out-of-the-kids" programs re: drugs, including the flashing of pipes and rolling papers around as SCARY-EVIL- BAD! When I confronted my folks about my fears, they came up w/ the brilliant story, "Oh, that's just the special tobacco we get from the health food store!" And the underlying lies started there.
My parents marriage was a sham, filled w/ resentment and torment. They physically and emotionally abused my sister and me under the strain of their contempt for each other, but continued to bury their personal problems with their continous pot smoking rather than seek mature counsel. By the time my dad bailed and abandoned his two young girls, my mother was dying from breast cancer. Again, nobody really stepped up because they were always high, which kept them in a constant state of immaturity and unreality.
By the time I became an adult, I had become addicted to pot simply because it was what I learned at home to be the easiest way to feel better and just let life's bigger problems solve themselves. By the time I was in my mid-thirties, I continually struggled to get sober since I knew in the back of my mind that I was participating in substance abuse and my life wasn't all that I had hoped; even though I looked great on the outside, my inner life was fairly fucked up as I lived in a false reality rather than ever take responsibility for effective change. As for the mom described by the LW who hasn't really had a job and has never really known who the hell she is without pot, she can't quit until she admits she's an addict. Sorry. That's just the f'n way it is!
And I am now over a decade sober because I got it together just enough to start attending Marijuana Anonymous meetings. Oh, and I had major back surgery, too. I have a partially ruptured disc lodged in my sciatic nerve, so pot for back pain? Bullshit. If you want to quit, get real and get sober. Sure, pot is wonderful for escape. I LOVED POT. And it should be legalized. But that's not the point of this kid's problem. This kid is rightly pissed off because his mom isn't really there for him. He deserves to be a whiney teenage boy since this is his last chance at having parental guidance. In another 3 yrs, he'll be on his own with whatever tools he has gained at home...or not. He's fifteen and finally old enough to speak his mind that is mature enough to tell him that his mom is a wasted stoner, and that he wants and deserves a self actualized, emotionally present parent. No excuses, mom. Grow up!
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Go to an M.A. meeting!
[Read the article: I'm 21 and addicted to pot -- but I'm doing just great!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Having just recently celebrated my eleventh year of sobriety in Marijuana Anonymous, the LR's story sounds just like a gazillion other stories I've heard in meetings over the years. And I, too was a highy functioning pot head. For over 15 years I was able to go to school and transition into working long hours, performing as a highly trained musician while making lots of money, hanging out with many talented and wonderful friends. And I was so classy, driving my Mercedes around town, joint in hand on the way to my personal trainer and yoga classes. But pot became the great equalizer to all the stresses of life, and it felt like my closest ally on many a morning, noon, or night. Or so I thought. But like Cary said, it does catch up with you.
After eleven years of sobriety, I'm still untangling the emotional webs of denial that pot kept me in. It's as if I was living in a sort of emotional Disneyland, being slightly buzzed most of the time, and knowing that when an uncomfortable emotion arose, I could escape it rather than tunnel through to solve the problems. Unfortunatley,everyone has to leave Disneyland at the end of the day and the real world is just so darned harsh if you've been living in a slightly altered reality for too long.
After questioning the validity of my habit while failing to quit on my own several times, I landed on Marijuana Anonymous meetings. Hated it! But now, I've come to believe. Check one out if you can, LR. They're even online. Just for research perhaps? You'll be surprised by how many people share this addiction.