I'm a drug user f*ck the police!
The above is of course a quote from the simply awesome Peep Show, the episode where Mark smokes Pot in the toilets at the bowling alley. For those not familiar with the show, OMG! Where have you been all this time?! It's simply a great show, Mitchell and Webb, both the stars and creative geniuses (should that be geniui?) behind the show are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Anyways, we're getting off topic so to bring us back I will start with a simple statement - I have smoked weed. Now, that shouldn't be that big a statement in itself, and it's probably not, but the perception is that I should now be cooler than I was, or at least that's what the World tells me.
I think it all starts with smoking in School, it's seen as a very rebellious act and we all know that rebels are cool, right? Possibly I'm given the impression that people that smoke weed are cooler is that I've known many people that have and it is regarded as something truly special and there's almost an elitism to it. Take University and there were some people on my corridor who would often go "on walks" as they put it, and I was grudgingly never asked to go. There's some thought process on their part going on - I was never deemed "worthy" to join them. Let's actually return to my experience, and heading back home for Easter to see the family as well as some friends. I've texted my good buddy Carl about possibly meeting up for a pint, nothing OTT, just something low-key where we could catch up and have a laugh, the usual. Anyways, thanks to some rail scheduling I happened to get the train back with him and he mentioned a gathering that I should come to. Now I'm usually wary of going to parties/gatherings with all strangers, I wouldn't call myself a people person, and could easily see myself wishing I was somewhere else, knowing I'd be having a better time. Recently I've been taken the more laid-back approach with social gatherings and going-with-the-flow, not getting stressed about meeting up times and just doing whatever, so I said sure "why not, could be fun".
On to the gathering itself and me and Carl stocked up on the beer before heading over to Kevin's (the host of the party). We boozed up, got chatting and generally having a laugh - having a few beers with friends with nothing on the agenda is a relaxing venture, and something I don't do enough anymore. At one point we got a little heated debate on Macs and how they are in fact now marketing towards the dumb customer, that just wants a stylish bit of kit but no actual substance - that got me worried as I am more and more interested in Mac products - I always thought it was more an elitist thing - you've tried the Every Joe desktop, now you want to try something a little better, a little different. It was later revealed that they were having a delivery, and planning to smoke the rest of the night away. I was asked if I had ever smoked weed before, to which I replied I've never smoked anything before except the odd attempt at a cigar. I must make something very clear, I did not feel pressured into trying weed at any point. Like spending a night camping with a bottle of vodka, it's a very social thing - you take your few sips and then pass it on, knowing that you'll see it again soon enough, and the same applies here. I was offered a couple of times, the first few I passed, but ceasing my chance to become "one of the cool" - one of those people who I couldn't stand for looking down on me but yet yearned to be one of their circle so badly, I accepted the joint. A quick crash-course of smoking later and I was initiated. I was asked a few times if I could feel it's effects but to be honest I was pretty merry from the beer at the time so it was difficult to say if it was the beer, the weed or the fact that I was in a relaxed environment as well that was crucial to the relaxing times.
Yep, so we spent the evening with some beer, some weed, having some chats and generally chilling to music. I can't say if the weed was the ultimate factor on what I would label a good night looking back, or merely a combination of all these things. The one thing I know that it was a good evening and positive reinforcement will tell me an equally good evening can be achieved with those things again. It reminds me of part of one of Bill Hick's routines and how he wished they would report on someone having a good experience on drugs. I will admit here that I had a positive experience on drugs and would be quite pumped to go it again.
Other highlights of my Easter break include almost getting run over by a pony, thanks to Eric and Karlie for letting me crash one night, and of course stuffing my face full of chocolate whilst I watched the F1 at my Nan's. Overall a very good weekend - they always are if they are filled with varied activities - it's so easy I find to simply do nothing after a busy week at work.
