I regularly post a question at the top of this blog; the current question right now is "Have you ever lost friends because you claimed Edge?" and I just received an inspiring story by GIPrice who fell into a bad situation and picked himself back up, reclaimed Edge and "started being a real straight edger".
Something like this kind of happened to me. Well I was always drug and alcohol free but it wasnt until the summer break before my senior year in high school that I claimed to sXe. Well my best friend introduced me to a bunch of new people and they seemed to be pretty fun and cool people. But they all turned out to be fucking druggies and my best friend was falling for one of them and got into drugs and drinking too. Then I started to really like this one bitch that said she really didn't even smoke pot but oh was that a lie. So being the pretty nice guy I am I didn't immediately tell them to fuck off. I tried talking to them and reasoning with them but no all they did was lie lie lie and smoke smoke smoke so finally it got to the point to where I was depressed and starting drinking and I would wake up and try to get wasted. Thankfully one day I woke up and realized what I was doing and had a life change. I kicked everyone that isn't sXe out of my life and stopped drinking. And started being a real straight edger. So I started dealing with my depression like a man and I slowly got over it. So now I don't even talk to people that do drugs and my life has been drama free and fucking great. I love actually being real straight edge because I know the people I called "friends" could never be. And even though I feel pain and depression and I don't like it, I still find good in it because I know it is real and I am real and alive and able to cope.
Claiming Edge isn't something done lightly, it's not simply about being drug free, it's about committing to yourself to live this way forever. But if you make a mistake, and you realize that mistake and accept your mistakes then you might be able to claim edge again with stronger conviction and live a more fulfilled life.
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17 comments:
Thanks for inspiring info! I like phrase "drama free" :D
Claiming edge isn't done lightly, and neither is leading by example...
Using the word Bitch isn't going to make our example hard. It's going to make us look like dicks.
Yours, a First Wave Edge
I'd have to agree with xburnx. The posted story reflects a person who claimed Edge for the sake of shielding himself from the 'real world'. Calling someone bitch and blaming his drinking on a bunch of goons? Falling for someone IN a druggie group in the first place without realizing it? I say almost everything here is his own fault.
Claiming Edge comes with pure self-confidence. You don't judge others, you don't neglect them either. When you're able to stand strong among alcoholics, druggies, and smokers and muster the balls to say that you chose to deal with your demons by yourself and without all those vices...that's real Edge. Claiming Edge because the real world doesn't listen to you or because of some self-righteous behavior isn't Edge at all...it's just an excuse.
I have to use CM Punk (of WWE) as an example again. The guy was recently at the Revolver Golden God Awards among names like Slipknot, Motorhead, Ozzy, Job For A Cowboy, etc. Can you imagine the kind of pot smoking and drinking that must've gone on? Yet CM Punk remains friends and a fan of these metal machines. THAT'S true Edge. The ability to walk among them yet hold your own with pride. Another example? Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage. All his bandmates drink like madmen. Howard holds his own.
I might be wrong here. But I just needed to get that out. I'm happy that the dude claimed Edge and is happier now, but it's gotta' be a pure decision. Not some reaction to rejection and anger.
will start off sorry a bout my spelling just so excited to fined that there r people out there like me i grow up with drugs in my famly and never onec have i been interested to even try the stufe and i only drunk for a short time like 5months and didnt like it one little bit , so up till naw i thort there was sume thing a miss with me coz i dont do ant drugs , smock or drink and live my life to the max and sem to b the only one i know who had dun that till naw , so owsume to c moor of us out there
I'm really glad you posted this. I went through a similar thing when i was 15. I'm glad my sxe friends welcomed me back to the community, could've ruined my life if they hadn't.
I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke or do drugs, and I don’t engage in promiscuous sex activities. I basically live a very dry life…and you may think I am 16 but really…I am 21 years old. This is all a personal choice. I am Roman Catholic, but my decisions aren’t based on my religious beliefs.
From what I understand, Straight Edge comes from the hardcore, punk/rock scene. Well, I never grew up around rock music but I have grown up living around people whom are under the influence. Just living in this world its-self has enough to try and peer-pressure you into their “wrath”. Especially when you’re my age, all my friends are smoking/drinking/sexxxing it up…but I don’t. What makes a person a Straight Edge is not being influenced by everything around them. So, I’m the same…the only difference is I’m not into the “Hardcore music” scene.
When it comes to clubs…I love to go to them because I love to dance. Going to the clubs are usually the opportunity for people to go wild and drink it up. For me, I just want to dance, with one drink in my hand, my ginger-ale with ice. Tell me that’s not hard enough to try not to get sucked into ‘that scene’ and get influenced.
I love music: Alternative/Indie Rock, hip-hop, and R&B, etc…I’d be lost without music.
So, my question is…if I were to be labeled into a category of lifestyles, what would it be?
Probably not Straight Edge because I’m not in the hardcore music scene…
hmmm…or I shouldn’t even be concerned about wanting to label myself.
It just makes me feel like there’s someone out there like me in this world.
This is beyond ridiculous. Straight edge can not be reclaimed, you get one shot. "If you aren't straight edge now, you never were." Meaning if you broke, you were never truly straight edge, as it is a LIFE LONG commitment.
It's cool that you don't want to drink and not do drugs. More power to you. But claiming edge is ridiculous to me. It just shows how bad you want to be in a group/slash scene or get attention. Eventually everyone is going to do something and the fact you can't reclaim edge makes it stupid as fuck and anyone who says they have never drank or smoked is a liar. The fact that every straight edge person Ive met is fake or that they are like so many of the others that have the attitude of "I'm straight edge and if your not then fuck you stupid ass" makes me sick. My point is no-one actually gives a fuck what you do so don't make a religion of it. Everyone should try to coexist because its the close minded fucks with those attitudes that ruin the world. I hope people have more important things to worry about than being sXe. Another thing is I don't wanna hear about how you love being so clean and pure at shows because its not a religion, its a personal choice and like I said no-one gives two fucks. I go to shows to listen to music and if I go outside to smoke I don't want some egotistical edge guy giving me bad looks or talking shit.
Hey anonymous, if you don't care about it then why are you commenting here. If people claim edge that is their business. And if your smoke bothers them and your drunken attitude bothers them then it's their business to deal with you.
Your point is noted and thrown away, as MANY MANY people give a lot more than you think, otherwise you wouldn't have anyone to complain about and I wouldn't have a blog to discuss your wasted comments on either.
I claimed Straight-Edge for maybe 3 years of my life. I stopped because I went through some hard times in my life and I drank three times, took a hit twice (hated it and thought it was stupid), and smoke a cig. (I thought it was disgusting.) I regret it so much. It was a while after I unclaimed Straight-Edge. I don't like any of that stuff. Mainly what I'm asking is can I reclaim Straight-Edge if I regret what I did and never want to do it again?
@anonymous: I think if you want to be straight edge you can. Straight edge is a personal thing and needs to be something you really want and shouldn't be taken lightly.
@phrekk I know. Idon't even know why I did that. I regret it so much and I wish I had never done it.
do you really have to kick all non straight edgers out of your life though? I don't drink or do drugs, but I have some family and friends who do
Most of my friends and family, including my wife are not straight edge. I don't exclude anyone unless they treat me differently for being Edge.
Inspirational hope-filled story. It's not about who's fault it is you turned to drinking, it's about the power inside you to turn your life around.
When I was about 15, I wanted to be sxe. But at that age, I don't think you can fully understand a commitment like that, so even though I didn't exactly fully become sxe, I started drinking, so in my eyes now, I broke edge. (If that makes any sense at all). I DO regret it, but at the same time, I know I wasn't fully able to understand the true meaning at that age.
Anyway, I hit rock bottom last year when a couple of years of real shit hitting me from every angle reached the worst it could. A VERY close family member attempted suicide. I was beside myself, and turned to drinking. I decided the way to get over what had happened was to drink myself stupid. Obviously it didn't work, I ended up feeling worse, and the people around me became worried about me, as if they didn't have enough on their minds.
It was then I realised what I'd done was selfish. Thankfully, the person that tried to take their own life didn't succeed, and they're fine now. But what they did, and what I did because of it made me see that there's no point to drinking or drugs (they OD'd), and that keeping a clear head is the best way to defeat life's obstacles.
That's why, after a year of not touching a drop of booze (I didn't smoke anyway, and drugs didn't interest me), I decided I understood well enough what it means to be Straight Edge, and at my age I have the determination and mental power to stick to it, so I claimed edge.
I agree with derrek, claiming edge has to be a pure decision... and i'll offer my experiences as an example. a couple years ago I claimed edge because I thought it would be cool to be different. Needless to say, I broke it. Like they say, if you claim edge and then break it, you weren't really edge when you claimed it. Well, it cuts both ways..If "you weren't really edge" b/c you broke it, then you can claim edge, since you never were edge. Faulty logic, I know, but people seem to take the "If you break edge, you never were edge" seriously, and this is what you get when you apply it.
The argument/differing opinions about "I broke edge and want to reclaim, can I?" IS a moot point,,,For two reasons:
1)There's no "set in stone rules" so to speak except no drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes, and no promiscuity (there's even disagreement about the last, but to be fair it is mentioned by Minor Threat)
2) If someone breaks edge and reclaims, the only people who wouldn't consider them edge are edge friends who don't believe in reclaiming. If the "reclaimer" moves, goes to college, stops associating with those people, his new friends wouldn't be the wiser, and will consider him edge if he reps it and lives it. Because of this, the "reclaimer" would, de facto, be edge.
May I also add that edge is a lifestyle choice and a "matter of the heart," so to say. You know in your heart of hearts if you are edge, and if you are, rep that shit. Anyone who tells you otherwise shouldn't be listened to, or even acknowledged.
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