Crack is Wack

We lost another one to the almighty pipe. Tragic, really. But not surprising.

Poor Whitney.

Some wondered what took so long. Some wondered how her drug habit grew to the gargantuan proportions that it was, and some wondered why? She really seemed to "almost have it all"; so much for having it all. Whatever it was that she had, she tried very hard to surpress it and it eventually killed her.

I was curious about the woman, the legend that is Whitney because I remember her. I can mark the important events of my life with her music and she was a big part of my youth. Yesterday I scoured the Internet for answers.

I came across an interview with Oprah and read through to find some answers. What I found was a woman who was deeply conflicted and somewhat regretful that her star shone brighter than her husband's. It was an issue between them and quite possibly the root of her evil. On the outside she seemed to have everything. The money, the fame, the voice, the beauty and deep inside she had the demons. She was deeply religious and she believed in marriage and there is no denying, they abused drugs together. Insiders still blame him for her downfall, yet they split in the fall of 2006 and Whitney continued to use drugs.

One thing we can all agree on, there was no other voice like hers. Her story will always start with her voice, yet end with her drug habit. Her legacy tainted, now cautionary tale for us to tell our children. What we are left with is her music.

And we will always love her music.

RIP Amy Winehouse

How shocking.

Not really. Super talented, supremely troubled Amy lost her battle with her inner demons. To say that this was a tragedy waiting to happen is an understatement, but it got me to thinking about what it must be like to be addicted to a substance that can destroy you. Or substances that put your psyche in another dimension.

Addiction? I know a thing or two about it. I was addicted to nicotine for more than a long time and happy to have won that battle somewhat. But addicted to a mind altering substance is something I can't relate to. Or can I?

In Amy's case, it goes way beyond how it makes you feel because it's more about the physical dependency. I get that. But how bad must it be when chemicals are not pumping through the veins of an addict? Hey, like getting buzzed on a Friday night just as much as the next guy, and I am lucky that something in my brain tells me it's time to stop. Physically I can't continue. My body rejects whatever it is that is causing me discomfort and it immediately rejects it. But what does the addict have that tells them to keep going? Why does their body need it and how do they stop it?

I don't really know why this one really hit me and made me think about addiction, but it did. Another life, taken much too early and another great voice silenced by addiction.

How shocking.
Not really...

Mute Monday: Pain And Suffering