Changing Times

[~lostgurl~]

SWIM remembers lots of fights at parties in her teen years, it was common practice for bogan skinheads to turn up drunk and crash any social event that they were not invited to. It seemed as if fighting was the only reason they bothered coming at all.

After high school SWIM took off overseas and boy what a culture shock it was for her coming back 5 years later! Drunken parties had been replaced by raves and dance clubs where violence was nowhere to be seen. Ecstasy had become the drug of choice and everyone was smiley and happy, loving and caring. The faces were all familiar but instead of picking fights with anyone who looked at them side ways, these guys were now comfortably part of the ecstasy scene. They were mates with the gay guys, treated the girls with respect and care and everyone felt so lucky to be part of such a wonderful crowd.

Then a few years ago things changed again as methamphetamine became the drug of choice. The lives of those smiley happy skinheads now revolve around buying and selling meth, and finding the money to do so. Criminal activity became the norm for SWIM's associates, gang and clubhouses became the hangouts, and the friends that she had grown so close to would now sell their soul for another bag and rip SWIM off as soon as she turned her back.

It is fairly common now for the guys to carry weapons, and the drunken party fights from her teen years pale in comparison to the stand-over tactics she is now seeing. There are no friends, there is no honesty and even the criminal underworld’s code of practice has long been forgotten.

It would be easy to put the blame solely on the drugs, but if that were the case SWIM would be there with them, and although SWIM is no saint she’s always held onto her her true self. She sunk deeper than she is comfortable with, but she still managed to keep her head above water. She still has a mind and she still has a heart, and well, that’s a lot to be grateful for.

Reputation Comments on this post:

excellent thread