Thinking back on my life, I've had some very interesting and unusual experiences. I saw Elvis and Peter, Paul, and Mary in person. I drank myself out of college and was drafted into the Army and sent to Vietnam. Before going over I did some "reds" and damaged my heart permanently. I enjoyed the best pot ever (suppossedly laced with opium) in Thai Sticks which we bought from Mama-San in the ville in Vietnam for $1 each out on the LZ. I came back and immediately caught the "clap." Got married later (after the penicillin worked). Smoked some homegrown. Joined the Air Force. Spent a year in Turkey (which is another universe entirely). Spent 3 years in Germany. At 30, diagnosed with bi-polar and schizoaffective disorders, and PTSD from Vietnam. Finished college. Ultimately got a BA and then an MA. Joined the Muslims and then the Mormons and lots of other groups. Became an atheist. Became a Catholic. Had open-heart bypass surgery, which I wished I had died from the pain before it healed. Became addicted to opiates and tranks. Got clean, and became an alcoholic. Getting clean again now. Live away from my family who never knew how to take me. Fell back into existentialist atheism, of sorts (God is laughing His ass off at me now). Smoke cigars now and take psychiatric meds. May get my driver's license back next week after a year of busses. Read world religions, believe little, read Kierkegaard and Sartre. Lots of stuff in-between all this. Happy to be out of the instituitions and on my own. Still love my family, including grandchildren. And God, if He is there, is laughing, laughing, laughing . . . .
i'm not laughin' at you if that helps any... i think you've got a great story to tell.. ever think of writing it ALL down?
I used to write all the time and had some stuff published, but just quit about the time I got addicted to opiates and never started again (except for the net---I used to love to get drunk and write all kinds of Groups and Forums all kind of apeshit stuff). My MA is in English, and I taught College Freshman English writing for 2 and half years. Some irony, huh? My kids don't want to hear any of it---I'm too old for them. LOL Maybe start writing and/or teaching again sometime. But for now . . . .
