Let’s start before I was born, my Mom told me they used whites so much back then, I was conceived and born under the influence of speed, Tobacco and alcohol, maybe some ganja too, welcome to the World Bob. Back then, speed was legal, pot was a felony, but you know, they had it and smoked it, SoCal was pot heavy back then and the Police didn’t care too much about the White kids.

 ‘79 is when the fun began I believe, Jeff P. asked me to skate over to his brother Bob’s house, a 2 mile ride, and he was my Boss! What was I picking up? A quarter gram of crystal meth, the kind that screeches when you chop it, and corrodes your blades. I got there and Bob was not happy, but he didn’t want to fire me so I took off, the rest is…something.

 I dabbled off and on for a few years then met an old friend, yep, dealer, so I was off to the races, and making money, by this time things were picking up, and we moved in on the Cocaine Market, at the time I played in a band, and that was easy, “hey Billy, try this, 3 cents worth” 12 hours later he was hooked, never did Coke again, but I have guilt for helping his demise…Then came Karen, my First wife, yes I had one, for about 5 years, Beautiful, fun, sweet and a speed freak, her Diabetes killed her, but Speed helped it along.

 A few years later I got a real job as an apprentice HVAC guy, YAY! I finally have a future, yes I did, and it included a lot of Speed. By this time pure Meth was rare but Crank and Rocket fuel were  both available, and we took what we could get. The trades are full of it, I understand why, America was built on Speed and Alcohol! But some people, sometimes, go off the deep end, and sometimes you can’t help them.

 By ‘95 I had a good job, a Wife and 2 great kids, a working band, and a horrible habit. I got my speed for free, as much as I wanted, I ate normally and even slept a few hours a night. After a gig it occurred to me, this ain’t right, somethings going to happen. At this time the entire band was tweaking, my Wife was stressed for me, and I decided then I didn’t want to be the 4th guy in the Band, they had a bad outcome.

 I called a friend in Colorado and he said get out here, so I did. I have been clean of it ever since, and there have been many opportunities, hell there still are. I can spot a tweaker from a mile away and despise them, most aren’t stupid, just addicted, but the mess they leave behind is terrible. Wasted families, CPS, courts, and it’s either quit or die, and I have seen a few close friends choose the latter. I still see it, but just look away, I can’t help anymore people that don’t want help.