A Leopard Can't Change Its Spots!

I got a call from my Dad today. He informed me that my 2nd cousin, "SG" on my Mom's side had been picked up for what we estimate to be the 4th or 5th time (1st time here in this town) for posession/use of methamphetamine,

The ironic thing is, about a year ago, my Aunt had hired "SG" to do some handy-man type work for her. I mentioned to my Mom that hiring him probably wasn't the most trusting thing in the world to do, given his history of theft from family members throughout the 80s and 90s. My Mom (and Aunt) actually stuck up for him, saying that he'd changed his ways, got clean (maybe through rehab? I can't rememebr?) and had turned his life around.

Uh-huh.

Yeah.

Sure.

Right.

If it's one thing I am usually "ON" on, it's first impressions of people's character. "SG" is no different. I really hope that for the sake of his son, "SG" can get clean and stay clean. He's looking at actual prison time this time.

Crystal methamphetamine has been around for over 20 years in our area...but in the last 10 years has become such an epidemic that it's not even funny to joke about it. It's powerful and hooks you hard. I've lost many friends because they chose drugs over me. Some of those people are noiw pushing up daisies, but que sera, sera! The thing that makes me even think twice about using it is looking at some of the women I am in contact with on a daily basis. I work with a lady that's 46 and she looks about 60. Many of the people where I work are in recovery and just look like they have been drug through a knothole (in a tree) backwards! It's really sad how old and tired it makes you look (stringy lifeless hair, sagging skin, dark circles uder your eyes for days, the weight that you lose so fast that it makes you look like some kind of anorexic/bulemic skeleton covered in a skin sheet-- not to mention the sores most people get from picking their skin because of the "crawlies"...yuck)...and I don't know about you but chemo and RT wore out my skin enough - I don't need to pour gas on the fire as far as that's concerned.

I know first hand about addiciton. I am not preaching to anyone. But family is family and like I said for the sake of the kids I hope that "SG" can overcome this evil demon.