Straight Edge

Straight Edge, the name itself conjures up negative images due in part to the negative

connotation it carries with it. You most likely think of dark or rough images when you hear the

name, but it is not about how the name sounds, it is about what it stands for. Being Straight Edge

is about being tolerant and safe, instead of ignorant and dangerous. It is about pledging to be

something more and being someone worth knowing and trusting. The Straight Edge lifestyle is

about being drug-free, alcohol-free, and not indulging in deviant behavior. This how I began a

better life.

I was never a very outgoing person when I was young, I always stayed home instead of

going outside and I didn’t have many friends growing up. I also dressed

I wore baggy pants and weird t-shirts from brands no

one else knew about. I was pretty awkward growing up and I never really knew what to say to

people when they would talk to me, and as a result I was an outcast pretty much. Everything about

me seemed to be awkward and weird, until I found the “Straight Edge” lifestyle.

My music taste at the time was pretty gnarly for a kid at that age. Instead of hip-hop or

techno music, I would listen to metal and rock especially punk rock. Punk Rock always has a

special place in my heart just because of how much I can relate to the people in those bands and

what they sing about most of the time. They’re outcasts like me, people don’t like what they wear

or how they act. They also preached about being “Straight Edge” and not doing drugs or drinking

alcohol. That I could also relate to a little.

My family has had a bad history with alcohol use, like my cousin’s dad who drank a lot

and my grandfather who also drank quite a hefty amount. They both had serious drinking

problems which left them in bad shape not only with their health, but also with their family and

friends. Both drugs and alcohol I have always tried to steer away from and avoid. Everyone