Unexpected Good News

As I picked up our mail from the mailbox I thumbed through the letters and other assorted junk and noticed a letter I had been waiting for a few days. I opened the letter and very much to my surprise it was good news. I cannot go into specifics but I can say it is indirectly related to my current legal situation and it is one less item I need to concern myself with. I firmly believe you do good things and good things happen. If it weren't for all of the tremendous support I have had over these past 8 months I know this letter would have been negative. However, because I am living the right way and taking the right steps life has a way of certainly working itself out. No matter what happens in the coming months my life has already gotten better and I intend it to get better one moment at a time.

There was a news report out of New York City regarding youth gambling on poker; here is one of the questions and answers in this report; Sarah: "Do you see a risk at all of getting hooked on it?" Teen: "Yeah, you can get hooked on it, but when you do lose a lot of money, you are usually broke at the time and then you can't play." The answer came from teenager who is encouraged to play poker by his parents because "at least my kids aren't doing drugs" so the parent hosts poker parties. Let me examine the answer; "yes, you can get hooked on it but when you are out of money you can't play," interesting philosophy but for the compulsive gambler (I am not passing judgment on this person as compulsive or not I am just relaying my experience) running out of money is a trigger to other bad behavior. Is the fact that this person stops when they run out of money a good sign as to NOT being a compulsive gambler or is it the next step in the progression of the disease? For me, it was the next step because the "high" of gambling needed to be consumed and the compulsive gambler will do anything to get this "high" even of an anti-social nature.

Let's face it; gambling much like drinking is an accepted part of our culture while drugs are not because they are illegal. This is why the grammar schools (like my daughter's) dedicate an entire week to "Say NO to Drugs" and they educate the children on negatives of drug use. Whereas with gambling and alcohol there seems to be less and less education when the children are confronted with these at later ages in life some bad choices are made. I know for myself I have never taken an illegal drug (this certainly does not make me a better person than anyone else, it is just something I have never done) but I have gambled to such an excess that drug addicts don't even understand. Would a comprehensive program of education and awareness saved me from my demons, who knows but I am sure it wouldn't have hurt.

Why don't we educate our younger children as to the dangers of gambling, alcohol and drugs. The drug issue is being addressed but it certainly doesn't stop people from trying drugs but at least it is a first step. I know education and awareness will not stop people from becoming compulsive gamblers or alcoholics but having knowledge of something is certainly an advantage over not having knowledge. In my mind ignorance is not bliss it is just ignorance. We as a society cannot ignore alcohol, gambling and drugs so why not educate.

Sometimes my thinking is very simplistic and I know there are other factors involved in any societal issues. I was discussing this with one of my daughter's teachers this week and in her 20 year teaching career in grammar schools she has only seen education and awareness on drugs and she questioned why not alcohol and gambling. Is the United States of America becoming the United States Corporate Authority? I am all for business big and small; and people making money but when it comes at the expense of others there needs to be an adjustment made and this adjustment should come from the people demanding answers to the problems. Sorry for the diatribe!!