Andy, you crushed it! Your words on this subject are important and penetrating.. This is exactly how I have felt for sometime.. I've been a climber for five decades.. I'll never forget one particular climbing friend who would get drunk Friday night and Sat. be completely unable to climb.. he would literally hobble up to the base of Tacquitz and just collapse in a hangover.. I never made plans with him, even though he was very capable.. I watched this routine play out for weeks.... same in the Valley and J tree.. year after year I'd see wonderful potential squandered in alcoholism and other drugs..
I had my two sons suffer through bouts of alcoholism early in life and one son with crack.. they both cleaned up their acts, one continues to climb.. the other that grappled with crack, dropped it 30 years ago and became a Spartan racer..
Pretty much always dedicated to being as fit, and capable as I possibly can.. though I did smoke a joint and have a couple of beers a few times after climbs.. the first few years in the vertical World.. Everything changed when I got into yoga about 40 years ago. Today maybe I'll have a beer on holidays.. my being a health nut and fitness keeps me close where I need to be for climbing as much as possible... Big Walls to bouldering, and always looking for an edge.. like You keeps me in the game..
Just wanna say You're writing it's truly exceptional, timely, and on point!
Very well written and catches the horrible feeling of seeing your friends and people you admire slowly wither away. (Climbers or not.)
Wonderful text, made me feel stuff (sadness mostly) and I am happy to have read it. It made me realise why I am so sceptical of legalization in a way that has been a lot vaguer to me until now.
Thanks for this. I'm currently writing an article on my own take of drugs here in the UK and thought I'd see what else is out there about this on substack. Drugs are a complicated and muddled game. They're even more ingrained in culture over here. And not just cannabis. Hard drugs are a regular saturday night where I'm from. I've recently decided to stop doing drugs, and I find myself remembering how great they feel. I'm writing about this to see it for myself.
Not taking drugs is so normalised in the West that you could probably smoke a joint in your mum and dad's house and they'd have a go as well, and maybe they'd also like an E on a Saturday night, or some speed, or a line of coke is it's a special occasion. I see mums smoking dope on the beach with their small kids, but then, the same mum might be putting closes on the kids back by making a living off Only Fans, who am I to judge? But I do, and we should, as it's the helter-skelter to hell for all of us. But, such an attitude just makes me sound like an old reactionary. but then, isn't a reactionary just someone who can forsee where "anything goes" ends (everything does). Weak, or weakened people(s) take drugs, and if not, the drugs will make them weak. Yes, "Just Say No" is some weak sauce, but that's your best defence.
Andy, you crushed it! Your words on this subject are important and penetrating.. This is exactly how I have felt for sometime.. I've been a climber for five decades.. I'll never forget one particular climbing friend who would get drunk Friday night and Sat. be completely unable to climb.. he would literally hobble up to the base of Tacquitz and just collapse in a hangover.. I never made plans with him, even though he was very capable.. I watched this routine play out for weeks.... same in the Valley and J tree.. year after year I'd see wonderful potential squandered in alcoholism and other drugs..
I had my two sons suffer through bouts of alcoholism early in life and one son with crack.. they both cleaned up their acts, one continues to climb.. the other that grappled with crack, dropped it 30 years ago and became a Spartan racer..
Pretty much always dedicated to being as fit, and capable as I possibly can.. though I did smoke a joint and have a couple of beers a few times after climbs.. the first few years in the vertical World.. Everything changed when I got into yoga about 40 years ago. Today maybe I'll have a beer on holidays.. my being a health nut and fitness keeps me close where I need to be for climbing as much as possible... Big Walls to bouldering, and always looking for an edge.. like You keeps me in the game..
Just wanna say You're writing it's truly exceptional, timely, and on point!
Always look forward to your work! Thank you!
Very well written and catches the horrible feeling of seeing your friends and people you admire slowly wither away. (Climbers or not.)
Wonderful text, made me feel stuff (sadness mostly) and I am happy to have read it. It made me realise why I am so sceptical of legalization in a way that has been a lot vaguer to me until now.
Hi Andy, what the best way to bribe you for future podcasts?
Thanks for this. I'm currently writing an article on my own take of drugs here in the UK and thought I'd see what else is out there about this on substack. Drugs are a complicated and muddled game. They're even more ingrained in culture over here. And not just cannabis. Hard drugs are a regular saturday night where I'm from. I've recently decided to stop doing drugs, and I find myself remembering how great they feel. I'm writing about this to see it for myself.
Not taking drugs is so normalised in the West that you could probably smoke a joint in your mum and dad's house and they'd have a go as well, and maybe they'd also like an E on a Saturday night, or some speed, or a line of coke is it's a special occasion. I see mums smoking dope on the beach with their small kids, but then, the same mum might be putting closes on the kids back by making a living off Only Fans, who am I to judge? But I do, and we should, as it's the helter-skelter to hell for all of us. But, such an attitude just makes me sound like an old reactionary. but then, isn't a reactionary just someone who can forsee where "anything goes" ends (everything does). Weak, or weakened people(s) take drugs, and if not, the drugs will make them weak. Yes, "Just Say No" is some weak sauce, but that's your best defence.
beautiful and persuasive
touching article Andy, total respect to your thoughts! thank you