Didn't mean to sound flippant Toad. Figured someone would have replied by now.
Anyway, yes it's a serious subject, and something everyone eventually has to cope with. I often weigh my decisions of things I've done in the past, that got me started on the road to perdition...compared to what might have been had I chosen another path. For me it was joining a High School fraternity at 16, and learning to drink and smoke pot. Never did acid or pills, and those things were very commonplace at almost every party. We had one member who od on something, and he almost died. That was back in the 70s, during the zenith of what had been spawned in the 60s. That time period was getting out of hand.
It was a complete change of direction for me. I had been attending a Christian school, but changed to public school because I wanted to be in the frat (next door neighbor was Sgt. at Arms and got me in.) Also, my brother had been in the same frat many years earlier...about 20 years earlier. He recently died of cirrossis of the liver at age 62. He was an alcoholic, but functional up 'til about the last 2 years of his life. He had a stressful job though.
I did start on a regimen of physical fitness by taking karate lessons, which was grueling and painful. But I stuck with it throughout HS and into college. I believe that was the physical "money in the bank" for me that lasted 25 years.
Then again, I was making deposits and not taking withdrawls so often as I do now. Wish I had the guts to get back into that, but I had a heart attack during a workout 4 years ago, and am just plain reluctant to go back. Think it was such a surprise to everyone, I waited 30 minutes for class to end before asking anyone to take me to the hospital, such was our self disipline. It was the only form of exercise I truly enjoyed, but at 46 man, I'm getting old too. It sucks.
I wonder sometimes though, if I had stayed in the Christian school how my life would have been. That school was pretty authoritarian, and to some degree, shut out worldly things such as going to social events (dances/sockhops), or listening to modern music, which they associated with leading to drinking, drug taking, and becoming a wastrel.
They may have been right, but seemed to me they were delivering and expecting a regimented education geared toward the ministry. Not mainstream. I wanted to learn worldly things. That education comes with a price.
Sorry for the long post and sentimental gibberish. You're spot on Toad. Thanks for reading.
Les