This simple statement made me think of my past 20 years in the pizza industry and an observation I have made after seeing hundreds of employees come and go. Kids that are genuinely busy and engaged in attainable goals are not the ones using drugs. It is the ones that are not winning, not involved the game of life with no purpose or direction that get into drugs and the attending trouble. This is especially prone to occur when their "friends" are of the same ilk. There is always someone in the crowd who thinks it's cool to smoke weed and thinks nothing of the people he or she encourages to join him in using drugs as a way of combating what I have seen over and over as pain, upset and lack of direction. When you say "hey that is not cool" you set the tone and make it known to all how you stand and maybe the example you just set will prevent another from going down that road.  |
| Lady Ga Ga Pizza by Marc Cosentino |
When I see kids allowed to work, create and participate I see successful kids. When I see the ones who are coddled, given everything, not allowed to contribute, work, or participate, I see trouble coming. At Goodfella's Pizza in Staten Island I witnessed this over and over through the years. The kids thet enjoyed working and playing made something out of their lives while the ones always trying to "get over" get away with doing as little as possible, end up cheating themselves in the end. Drugs, crime, welfare, dependency always follow the "do nothings". In the police department we called them "empty suits"-guys just there to collect a check and never lift a finger to help anyone but themselves. I know you've seen similar things so encourage people especially kids to help, to work, find a hobby or a sport. They don't have to be good at it but they need to be encouraged to JUST DO IT because in this life that is the big difference between happiness and misery.
I'd take pizza over drugs any day! I’m sure you would agree. And I agree with what you said about kids who have attainable goal are the ones who are most likely not to use drugs. It all boils down to the lack of direction. But while we can give them something significant to be focused on, like work or a hobby, I think what they need to develop is their own awareness – that drugs won’t make them “cool”, nor will it take away their problems, but rather cause more in the long run.
ReplyDeleteDonnie Benson @ Midwest Institute for Addiction