Sway. Bend. Break.

It's late. I tend to do my best thinking at this hour.

I've been straight edge all my life in one sense or another. I mean this in that I have changed in flexibility. I have morphed into what I am now. Straightxedge, vegetarian, no medicine, no caffeine[if at all possible], and a host of other silly personal choices come together to form me. This person standing before you.

Anyway, it has come to my attention that breaking edge seems to be a trend on the rise. This crescendo of sorts has brought close friends of mine to and over the edge. These friends, who will remain anonymous, have decided to break their promise to those around them and more importantly to themselves. Straight edge is a promise to keep oneself clean and focused and to rid oneself of that which plagues and destroys the human body. Now of course nobody lives forever, but why not take a few precautions eh? Sounds like a plan to me, I'd love to enjoy my life even just a few days or weeks longer than those who ignore their bodies.

I, to spite depriving myself, get great satisfaction out of my life and always, with a few exceptions of course, see the glass as half full. I understand that as a straight edger, I and those like me are under constant ridicule, are taunted, ganged up on, and so on. This is funny being that this is such a personal choice.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...

One friend, the guy who gave me the title of edge, the one who really taught me what it was all about, decided he wanted to experiment. Don't get me wrong, I still love the guy to death, but I'll never look at him the same. Salvia here and there turned into a regular thing. Drinking and smoking up became common place, until he could bearly function. The part that hurts the most is that he's told me to my face on several occasions that he has, "had his fun," and in so many words, seen so many stupid people. Is he clean now? I wouldn't bet on it.

Another friend, was a kid that let his girlfriend drag him under. From one who proclaimed their edgeness to one who slid off the radar into a world of acid and drinking. "Sounds like my way to live," I'm sure some of those reading this might think. Well it sounds pretty shitty to me.

This all comes back to personal choice. I have set myself up in saying that it is completely up to them, but what drives a person to change so fast, and delve so deep? What causes a person to break a lifelong promise to themself? In one case all it took was a girlfriend with a rather unfortunate past, in the other it took fitting in with a crowd not worth fitting into.

Words of encouragement:
If you are straight edge, stay with it. You are not alone. You'll thank me when you live to see your grandchildren.