Drugs are a touchy subject. Most people probably know someone who uses drugs casually or someone who has fallen victim to the addictive nature of drugs. I’ve never touched an illegal substance in my life, and I am very proud of my Straight Edge lifestyle. Truth be told, I tend to get a little frustrated with people who live in excess and abuse their bodies the way they do. It irritates me, it bothers me, it angers me, and it gets me a little sad. But there’s only so much one can do. Ultimately, people will do what they want. And what I want is to live a clean life. Not everyone does, but I certainly do.
As you may be aware, last week was the ever-so-ridiculous counterculture celebratory day of 4/20. Since I first knew about 4/20, I scoffed at the day and the people who celebrated it. But I could probably go on and on for hours and hours about my disdain towards drug use and any day that celebrates such behavior. So instead, I’ll tell you all about how StarCraft—along with Monster Hunter Tri—was my anti-drug on the day of 4/20.
A good friend of mine posted a very interesting article about how her Nintendo DS was her anti-drug on 4/20. I admired that about her, and I proudly told her that my two anti-drugs on that day would be Monster Hunter Tri (which I purchased earlier that day) and StarCraft. It was a silent protest to 4/20, but it was something that I was proud to do. While countless others were probably enjoying a joint, a bong, or a pipe, I was literally switching between my TV and computer throughout the day, alternating between my two games. I beat missions in StarCraft, got through the tremendous learning curve in Monster Hunter Tri, beat some more missions in StarCraft, and so on. I was really enjoying 4/20, but not for the reasons many other people were.
It felt good to think of myself as part of the minority of people who don’t need to turn to marijuana just because of a stupid number. I know people who currently smoke weed. I love people who have smoked weed in the past. That’s just the way it goes. But just because I care about these people doesn’t mean I agree with what they did in the past or what they are currently doing. I’ve even brought up the suggestion and have asked them, “Why didn’t you just play video games instead?” I usually get a chuckle, and I realize they’re chuckling at me. Well, I’d rather be playing StarCraft and pwning zerg than having my brain pwned by foreign substances. But that’s just me.
