Here's a good question. Why is it legal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet but it's illegal to drive a car without a seatbelt? Which one is more deadly?

What's wrong with this picture?

When we are children, we are taught that drugs and alcohol are bad. We have it drilled into our heads that drinking is bad and that drugs will ruin our lives. And we believe the people who taught us this and know that they are right. When we grow up, we still know this, yet our actions would suggest otherwise. Drinking is so commonplace that they serve alcohol in practically every restaurant, at every corner store, at every grocer, and it's a standard to have some in your house. We use alcohol to celebrate events, to morn our loses, and to make it through the day. You hear the phrase, "everyone's doing it," when it comes to drugs which does have some origins in the truth. But, there are a few of us who have seen the dangers and outcomes of drugs and alcohol in our friends and family and choose not to participate in them.

So, why is it that when you tell someone that you don't drink, they look at you like you're some kind of alien? It's actually easier to tell someone that you're the designated driver than to simply say, "I don't drink." Everyone loves the designated driver because it means that they can drink more than they were planning on and they know they'll still get home safely. I do like being the designated driver, because my friends are going to do what they want, regardless, and I know that I'll keep them safe. But those same friends are unaccepting when I simply say, "nah, I don't drink." What's worse is when I add "anymore" at the end. "I don't drink" requires an explanation. "I don't drink" is a bizarre phrase to common people. Those three words that we we use a million times a day become something unrecognizable when strung together.

I am likely the only person on the planet who grew up to be an adult without EVER sampling any kind of drugs. I have close family members who smoke marijuana on a regular basis. "Everyone is doing it" is a common phrase because of the truth behind it. "Everyone is doing it" has it's roots because everyone has tried it. People are fighting for the legalization of drugs so they can validate something they're going to do anyway. I have never tried it. I do admit that I have been tempted and even came close once. But, the foreseeable benefits do not outweigh the foreseeable risks. So why is "I never have" such a strange thought to people. "I never have" bodes such obscure looks on peoples faces. "I never have" makes me an outcast or a freak. As parents, we never want our children to do, or even sample, drugs but when we find out that someone's parents have succeeded in this endeavour, we ask ourselves "what is wrong with this person."