My kid or meth

12/6/12. I am 49 now.

my step father gave me my 1st beer at 9, when he caught me stealing his cigs at 10, he beat my ass, severly, well...that didn't work.

at 13, i was at 3-5 cigs a day, not much, just trying to be cool. Smoked pot 1st time at 13. I was always a tall mature looking kid, at 15, i had long hair, side burns, mustachio, was dating girls that were 18, 19 , 20, going to bars, introduced to coke at 16, didn't care for it much, more of a novelty to me.

Tried LSD at 16, it was no good, turned me off, meth 1st time at 17, didn't shut up for 4 hours I'm told. Stayed away from meth for several years, too scary for me. Back then the meth was real, not made in a garage, like it has been for 20+ years, (only drank and smoked pot 'til about 24 years old). Got hitched at 21 to an 18 year old (son born 1 year later, predictable), seperated 2 years, wife and son moved to Wyoming,

During that time, got back into meth, only snorting the stuff, almost every day. (Smoking meth was not a fad back then) lucky for me, I did not hang out with people how did needles, (probably saved my life since I hate needles), moved to Wyoming to rekindle my family, stayed off meth 7 years, went to a party, saw a guy with a glass pipe, wondered what was in it, seen people smoke glass pipes with the stuff in them, didn't think much of it.

In Wyoming, i became a rough neck,  working in the  oil field on drilling rigs, got on with a new crew, 1st day on job, just starting the 12 hour shift, everyone is gone but the driller(boss), even though i was the new man on the crew, i was not happy, there is work to be done.  I asked the driller where the crew went, he said they are down in the "mud shack" getting high.....1st thought WHAT?! Are you kidding me?!  Of course i marched my butt down to the mud shack to start yelling, the 3 of them were passing a glass pipe around, asked what they were doing and handed me the pipe, "here, have some"......that was all it took, I...was...hooked...line...and...sinker...        then the REAL problems started....

That was in 1994. I saw my friends lose  jobs, cars, homes,  kids, a few lost their lives....

My wife and son came back to Boise, I soon followed trying to get away from meth, things did not get better. I eventually decided on my own without the legal system, drug courts, rehab or any intervention,  that I needed to be a father instead of an addict. I quit cold turkey......my wife did not....she got 5 years prison. I had to sue the state of Idaho for sole custody of my son, (took 2 years in court) I won!!! i also jumped through a lot of hoops to prove my worthiness.

Now, I am very happy to say, I have been clean and alive since 1999, a single parent for 9 years without any support what so ever from the state or child support. My son, who is a successful CSR, loves his job, is the only grandchild out of 9 to graduate highschool, he does not drink, do dope or listen to rap. He wears a belt AND does not show off his underwear!!!  

There is life after meth, please don't  ever ever ever hesitate to ask for help