IT HAS TO STOP

 ONCE AGAIN, MY "NOTE" FOR THE DAY IS GOING TO GET RIGHT TO THE POINT.  I LIVE IN A VERY SMALL TOWN.  A TOWN WHERE EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE AND INFORMATION TRAVELS FAST.  OURS IS A BASICALLY TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY.  WE SHARE JOYS, SORROWS, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.  FOR THE PAST COUPLE DAYS, WE HAVE SHARED TRAGEDY.  SENSELESS TRAGEDY.  THERE ARE NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT......IT SIMPLY HAS TO STOP!

WITHOUT GOING INTO DETAILS, A YOUNG MAN FROM OUR TOWN DIED NIGHT THIS WEEK.  A HANDSOME, ENERGETIC, MUCH LOVED PERSON.  IT WASNT A CAR ACCIDENT, IT WASNT A TRAIN WRECK, HE DIDNT SUFFER AN EXTENDED ILLNESS.  NO, IT WAS SOMETHING MUCH WORSE.  OUR FRIEND DIED  A SENSELESS DEATH.  PLEASE DONT THINK EVEN FOR A MINUTE THAT I AM WRITING THIS "NOTE" AS A WAY OF GOSSIPING OR "GETTING IN SOMEONES BUSINESS."  NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.  HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE, HAD BEEN FOR YEARS.  ALTHOUGH WE WERENT BLOOD RELATIVES, I CONSIDERED HIM SOMEWHAT FAMILY. 

 THOSE OF YOU READING THIS FROM ANOTHER TOWN, STATE OR EVEN ANOTHER COUNTRY,  MIGHT NOT SEE WHERE THIS IS ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.  I UNDERSTAND THAT THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ARE HORRIBLE NO MATTER WHERE IT OCCURS, BUT THE REASON THAT I AM WRITING THIS "NOTE" TODAY IS THAT DRUGS ARE ARE CAUSING WAY TOO MUCH TRAGEDY.  DRUGS ARE DESTROYING OUR TOWN.  DESTROYING FUTURES, DESTROYING LIVES, DESTROYING OUR YOUTH, ADULTS AND OUR ELDERS.  I TRIED TO MAKE A LIST AWHILE AGO OF THE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE.   JUST AS I THOUGHT THE LIST WAS COMPLETE, I REMEMBERED SOMEONE ELSE.  DRUGS ARE DESTROYING OUR TOWN. 

I CAN SAY THESE WORDS FROM FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE.  IT IS ONLY THROUGH THE GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD THAT I SIT HERE TODAY AND WRITE THIS "NOTE."  I NEARLY OVERDOSED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.  ANY DRUG IS TOO SIMPLE TO ACQUIRE.  TO CALL AND GET DRUGS HERE IN OAKDALE IS EASIER THAN CALLING AND ORDERING A PIZZA.  DRUGS ARE IN OUR STREETS, RESTAURANTS, CONVENIENCE STORES, SHOPPING CENTERS, SCHOOLS AND EVEN IN SOME OF OUR CHURCHES.  TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE DYING.  WE NEED TO WAKE UP.  AS A COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER LIKE NEVER BEFORE.  I CANT THINK OF ONE FAMILY WHICH HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED BY THE TRAGEDY OF DRUGS. 

OAKDALE, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER.  WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR ONE ANOTHER.  INSTEAD OF IGNORING THE PROBLEM, WE NEED TO FACE IT HEAD ON AND PUT A STOP TO THIS EPIDEMIC.  BY HELPING ONE ANOTHER, LISTENING TO ONE ANOTHER AND COMING TOGETHER IN BROTHERLY LOVE, WE JUST MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE A CHANGE.  INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT A DRUG USER, MAYBE WE SHOULD TALK TO HIM OR HER.  INSTEAD OF KICKING A PERSON WHEN THEY ARE DOWN, MAYBE WE SHOULD HELP THAT PERSON GET BACK UP.  THE MAN WHO BELIEVES HE WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING MIGHT JUST NEED TO BE ENCOURAGED.  THE WOMAN WHO HAS PRACTICALLY GIVEN UP MIGHT EXCELL IF GIVEN HALF THE CHANCE.

WE NEED TO PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.  WE NEED TO EXTEND GODS LOVE.  WE NEED TO INVOLVE OUR CHILDREN AND SHIELD THEM FROM DRUGS, THE PRIMARY TOOL OF THE DEVIL HERE IN OAKDALE.  WE NEED ONE ANOTHER.  STOP, TALK, LISTEN AND CARE......IT MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

THANKS FOR READING MY "NOTE"
LOVE,
M