For nearly two years now, more or less, I have been plugging away at writing a book manuscript. This question that is burning within you, therefore (and I know it is) is have I finished that book? Sort of, maybe, kind of, damn it, I honestly don’t know.
Why I don’t know is quite simple, really, and that is because the topic is a never-ending one with no succinct answers. It’s a huge coconut that nobody has been able to even crack, if we’re honest about it.
I think some books would be relatively easy to write because they are straightforward and anecdotal. Consider such tomes as Hedgehogs I have Raised, or Adventures in the World of Full Contact Cheerleading, and I suspect the authors of such tomes didn’t sweat too much. Hey, even Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire was straightforward and to the point. I mean, it ‘declined’ and then it ‘fell.’ What could be so hard?
My topic is more nebulous. It concerns the controversial, confusing and often calamitous world of addiction in all its manifestations. Not truly a fun topic in itself and, what is more confounding, is that it is not one with anything resembling clear-cut answers for a societal blight. A societal blight that has arguably, in one way or another, probably impacted every single person who is reading this. It’s one of those things, like sex, in which everybody has an opinion, and lots have indulged, but few have anything resembling an answer.
Addiction is fraught with theorists, and like all theorists, addiction theorists believe they are right and all other theorists are wrong. I chose ‘fraught’ because in the pure sense of the word, it means ‘burdened down’, and like all cumbersome weights do, the many theorists are keeping the issue from going where it should to, which is to rid society of a blight that is becoming increasingly devastating to the well-being of all of us.
As I have written before, I came to ponder the topic quite naturally due to my work as an addictions counselor, as a member of a community committee that deals with the impact of addiction in my own town, and as a journalist who has written extensively on the subject. In that I have interviewed a lot of the aforementioned ‘theorists’ (some more worthy than others, with the least worthy invariably being one-trick-wonder politicians) and in all of this I come to one conclusion.
That is: Despite the best of intentions, too many people in the realm either don’t know what in fuck they are talking about, or else they are reflecting a strong personal bias.
So, we know what addiction in the community – any community – looks like: it’s tweaking methheads, hookers plying their dangerous trade just to score the next fix, crackhouses, panhandlers, homeless folk, muggers, B&E artists, gang wars, drunk drivers etc. etc. etc.
It is also housewives hooked on booze and benzos (Valium and its ilk), professionals who choose to not recognize a per diem alcohol consumption that is out of control, and who will get behind the wheel of the Mercedes whence they can, and will kill an inordinate number of innocent people. It is also governments who are craven about increasing access to alcohol, in order to reap revenue, but which are loath to shovel any of those gains into providing access to treatment or recovery, or even detox, for Christ’s sake.
None of this means I am self-righteously opposed to the partaking of substances to smooth out the rough bits of life, or to have a bit of fun. But, with moderation and hopefully not involving illegal activities. It is human nature to obliviate grim reality once in a while. Always has been.
With this book I don’t come down strongly on one side or the other, but state my opinions on all of them, whether they be abstention, harm-reduction, increased penalties, legalization, etc. All I am ultimately left with is a statement of veracity. It was one that was made to me by the mayor of Kauai a number of years ago when I briefly interviewed him following his announcement that he was seeking federal, state, and county funding to finance a series of subsidized treatment centers and housing on that tropical paradise island. I asked him what his motivation was and his response was simple: “We have to do something.”
And we do. But what?
I have no answers and I know that if anybody really had an answer the problem would have gone away. So, therein lies my quandary about whether or not I’m finished the book.
All I know is that the bad guys are still winning. And we’re letting them.
And I still think so 
The bad guys are winning, so pass me some of those cocaine toothache drops so I can forget about it.
I suspect that the bad guys are winning because in some way they fund governments.
If you send the manuscript to a publisher, you will find out whether it’s finished or not, whether it’s finished or not.
Best theory I had heard, generally speaking, for why we have the drug problem is that we no longer have official, tribal ‘rites of passage’ for 13 year olds, and make them wait an inordinate amount of time in ‘coming of age’ limbo until they reach 21. That’s the brief summary, but taken to its full discussion, I found it to be an enlightening idea.
Could it be that addiction is the fallout of a bigger problem: society torn asunder. No longer is marriage as sacred, respect for anyone or anything is seriously lacking – be it by youth or adults, privacy has been deeply invaded, doing one’s best is no longer acceptable – one must always be the best, and materialism is the number one achievement to be gained whether the everyday man, a huge corporation or a government itself. As a result crime has increased and selfishness & greed in every regard seems to be the greatest attribute of society. In any one of these scenarios pain of one kind or another will surely ensue. Then the addictions start. Even when the original problem is long gone the addiction remains and so the vicious circle starts over again. To me until the basic foundations of society are morally heightened and enlightened there will always be addiction.
Would love to read your book – let me know when it’s available to purchase.
The best kind of books are those that show the whole picture. The good, bad and in between. I’d read your book in an instant.
I can only imagine that the author of Adventures in the World of Full Contact Cheerleading sweated a lot.
Sounds like an interesting book. There’s no end to the examples and situations etc you can touch on when writing something like that, so it could potentially turn into the neverending story 🙂 I guess the important thing is to just decide on what the most important things to emphasize right now is, because it’ll be completely impossible to say EVERYTHING in one book anyway, seeing how enormous the problem is. When you don’t have loose ends, then you’re done.
The best of luck with this, my friend. Been there, done it – the addictions I mean, not the manuscript writing. I’m a very weak-willed person and got psychologically addicted to all manner of things when I was in my twenties. It’s made me what I am today – a strong and confident person au naturelle
Extremely tricky subject – good luck!
Addiction and all that goes with it isn’t helped by these “celebs” who are forever banging on about their fight against drugs or whatever and check themselves into a clinic. Full of other celebs, of course. Then three weeks later aforementioned celeb is cured and life is rosy. I often suspect they’re not addicted just exhausted with their lifestyle and want a month’s rest. And then the thrill of attention.
Of course, some celebs genuinely are addicted and it all ends in tragedy.
You see, a difficult subject even in this one little corner of it.
Thank you all for your positive input and suggestions. You inspired me to get back and finish the damn thing. I am invariably my own harshest critic and I arguably even sell my skills short — or not. Love you all.
The bad guys are winning because it’s easier to succumb than fight the addiction. We’ve become very soft and lazy in the last 50 years.