Ricky Williams is my new personal Jesus. As most of you by now are probably aware, the Miami Dolphins star running back, one of the best in the game, retired last week in large part because of this desire to continue smoking marijuana. I repeat, he is walking away in his prime from a game that pays him millions of dollars SO HE CAN SMOKE WEED!
Now that's dedication. It's the type of dedication seldom seen from pot heads. Not even a serious pot head like myself could reasonably forego millions of dollars just to continue my habit. At the same time however, I can relate. I recall when my employer, for whom I'd worked for several years, suddenly started drug testing. It was enough to make me consider seeking other employment. The major difference however is that the odds are much greater of me finding something else with competitive salary. Unless Williams plans to be the next professional athlete to turn actor or rap star, I don't know what else he's going to do that will pay him millions of dollars. Given his social disorders and apparent insecurity that seems unlikely.
Williams suffers from social anxiety disorder and is a spokesman for Paxil. He took the drug but eventually had to stop because it was causing him stomach problems. He claims that marijuana helped him after he stopped using Paxil. Is that why I smoke so much? Do I too suffer from social anxiety disorder? Given marijuana's reputation for making people paranoid, you would think it would cause more social anxiety than it would relieve, yet at the same time this somehow makes sense. I can rarely ever sleep at night without the assistance of weed. My mind races uncontrollably. At one point I went to see a doctor about this. What did he suggest? Paxil. It does seem that users of this "politically correct" drug suffer from some the same symptoms as those who feel the need to use marijuana habitually. Marijuana does indeed seem to relieve many of these same symptoms. (Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, etc.) Now if only we can convince the rest of the world of this we'll be buying pre-rolled joints down at the corner drug store.
While Williams will get criticized by many for his decision, and already has, I find it refreshing. It is rare in the age of modern sports that an athlete is honest about anything he does or why he did it. (See Carlos Boozer) Williams had failed a drug test previously and was in the league's drug program forcing him to submit to multiple tests per month. He had successfully continued his career through the use of masking agents, but apparently was sick of having to deal with the routine and the hypocrisy of the situation and allowed himself to fail two consecutive tests. He failed the initial test, appealed and while the appeal was pending went to Europe and kept right on smoking. To quote Williams "I didn't retire from football because I failed a drug test. I failed a drug test because I was ready to retire from football." I'd never expected such honesty from someone in the spotlight, but while some may consider his decision short sighted and foolish his honesty is something I can respect. Unlike many who make millions upon millions and only hunger for more, Williams made enough to take care of himself and his family and decided enough was enough. He was ready to live the way HE wanted to live, not live the life others wanted for him.
While the Mike Tyson's of the world can blow through $300 million in no time, Williams feels he can live within his means. Will he watch it all dwindle away as he smokes sack after sack of 'dro? Will he ultimately regret his decision? That remains to be seen. Many including myself will wonder what could have been if he had continued his bright career that only seemed to be just getting of the ground. I hope that Williams doesn't suffer from the "what if" complex later in life, but if he does, at least he has a brotherhood of millions of pot heads to support him along the way. Welcome to the club Ricky. If nothing else, I hope you can smoke some peace of mind.
What could be more fun than weed?
Now that's dedication. It's the type of dedication seldom seen from pot heads. Not even a serious pot head like myself could reasonably forego millions of dollars just to continue my habit. At the same time however, I can relate. I recall when my employer, for whom I'd worked for several years, suddenly started drug testing. It was enough to make me consider seeking other employment. The major difference however is that the odds are much greater of me finding something else with competitive salary. Unless Williams plans to be the next professional athlete to turn actor or rap star, I don't know what else he's going to do that will pay him millions of dollars. Given his social disorders and apparent insecurity that seems unlikely.
Williams suffers from social anxiety disorder and is a spokesman for Paxil. He took the drug but eventually had to stop because it was causing him stomach problems. He claims that marijuana helped him after he stopped using Paxil. Is that why I smoke so much? Do I too suffer from social anxiety disorder? Given marijuana's reputation for making people paranoid, you would think it would cause more social anxiety than it would relieve, yet at the same time this somehow makes sense. I can rarely ever sleep at night without the assistance of weed. My mind races uncontrollably. At one point I went to see a doctor about this. What did he suggest? Paxil. It does seem that users of this "politically correct" drug suffer from some the same symptoms as those who feel the need to use marijuana habitually. Marijuana does indeed seem to relieve many of these same symptoms. (Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, etc.) Now if only we can convince the rest of the world of this we'll be buying pre-rolled joints down at the corner drug store.
While Williams will get criticized by many for his decision, and already has, I find it refreshing. It is rare in the age of modern sports that an athlete is honest about anything he does or why he did it. (See Carlos Boozer) Williams had failed a drug test previously and was in the league's drug program forcing him to submit to multiple tests per month. He had successfully continued his career through the use of masking agents, but apparently was sick of having to deal with the routine and the hypocrisy of the situation and allowed himself to fail two consecutive tests. He failed the initial test, appealed and while the appeal was pending went to Europe and kept right on smoking. To quote Williams "I didn't retire from football because I failed a drug test. I failed a drug test because I was ready to retire from football." I'd never expected such honesty from someone in the spotlight, but while some may consider his decision short sighted and foolish his honesty is something I can respect. Unlike many who make millions upon millions and only hunger for more, Williams made enough to take care of himself and his family and decided enough was enough. He was ready to live the way HE wanted to live, not live the life others wanted for him.
While the Mike Tyson's of the world can blow through $300 million in no time, Williams feels he can live within his means. Will he watch it all dwindle away as he smokes sack after sack of 'dro? Will he ultimately regret his decision? That remains to be seen. Many including myself will wonder what could have been if he had continued his bright career that only seemed to be just getting of the ground. I hope that Williams doesn't suffer from the "what if" complex later in life, but if he does, at least he has a brotherhood of millions of pot heads to support him along the way. Welcome to the club Ricky. If nothing else, I hope you can smoke some peace of mind.
What could be more fun than weed?