757 is so cool!

First off, let me say. As you read, some of you “757” teens will be offended and it'll be interesting to see if the number of friends on my list drops.

While you read this, some of you will find similarities to your own lives. Once that becomes the case, I suggest you read on because this is about you!

If you’re 16 to 21 and don’t have a job or any desire to get one, then this is about your future. This is also about you if:

1. You smoked marijuana more than once this year and you think there's nothing wrong with it because it’s just pot and it isn’t addictive.
2. All your buddies smoke pot or do other drugs, but you think they're cool.
3. You know people who have marijuana readily available and you wouldn’t dare doing anything about it because they're your buddies and it’s “not that bad.”
4. You’re invited to a party and you text, or get text messages, to organize “dime bag.”
5. You dropped out of high school, or are considering it. GED, then off to college are some of the ideas floating in your head.

Think again! If you’re pressed to drop out of high school for whatever reason, you’re not gonna stick around in college. Think about it. Most who have dropped out just fooled themselves and never even registered for GED classes. It became too easy to let it all go. Sounds familiar?

I’ve been hearing and reading all about this “757 this and that.” As if it's something special to be a teen in the 757 area. Based on my observations, a large number of the “757” teenagers are on a path to nowhere and the number is rising. I don’t want to sound like an anti-drug activist or advocate here, I’ve done my share. However all of my drug sins can be accounted for on one hand, excluding the thumb. I thought better of myself and so should you!

You may ask yourself now “What's the difference?” Well, I’ll tell you this, if you see nothing wrong in smoking pot and you think it’s “cool” cause’ all your buddies do it and you dropped out of high school to do your GED, you have a real problem. There comes a day when all those decisions are back to haunt you, when hotel-momma is no longer available, when no employer is willing to hire you, when going back to school for your diploma is no longer an option, and when your girl/boyfriend left you for someone who built their future while you smoked pot.

I’m not trying to be mean, or sound like the guy on the poster that says “just say no to drugs,” I’m merely appealing to your consciousness as a friend and as a parent of a “757” teenager. Make a difference in your life; don’t allow drugs to drain the best out of you. You’re young and bright, what you do now will reflect on your entire future. Pick yourself up and work on building your dreams and goals in life.

Drugs suck the life out of you, they make you dumb and ill-tempered and you lose your ambition. It shrinks your horizon to “what’s up dude, let’s chill tonight.”

I’m here if you wanna talk. Many of you know me and have been to our house to party and have fun. Believe it or not, I know those of you who have gone farther, snuck in the garage after everyone was asleep. It never fails; I know why some of you got a ride in the middle of the night because you knew I’d go anal if I caught you smoking a blunt on my property.

Be creative, live your dreams, don’t spend $10.00 on a blunt that makes you narrow when you can spend $10.00 on a book at Echelon.com and get a second book free.

--Martin