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A Fine Line The author, Natasha, starts to see her friend Caleb in a different light. How does her opinion of him change, and why? How does that affect her own experimentation with cold pills?
At the end of the story (p. 9) Natasha says that, “It’s best to try drugs—to try losing control—when you’re feeling comfortable and good about yourself and what you’re doing in life, and not when you’re feeling low and depressed. That seems like a recipe for addiction.” This is a provocative statement. Is there really a difference between “recreational” drug use and using drugs to escape pain? If someone told you they were taking drugs “just for fun,” (not to stave off bad feelings), would you believe them? Why or why not? [There are no right answers to these questions, but simply getting students to explore them, as well as the ways in which we may deceive ourselves about drug use, can be fruitful.] Note: Facilitators leading these discussions should have a sophisticated understanding of addiction and recovery. These stories invite a dialogue that goes beyond a simplistic “just say no” approach.
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About
our books Stories from Represent have been anthologized in several books by Youth Communication. The Heart Knows Something Different (Persea Books, 1996) is a collection of personal essays first published in FCYU; in addition, The Struggle to Be Strong: True Stories By Teens About Resilience (Free Spirit, 2000), Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them (Simon & Schuster, 1998) and Out With It: Gay and Straight Teens Write About Homosexuality (Youth Communication, 1996) feature stories from Represent, as well as from New Youth Connections (NYC), our other teen-written magazine. |
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