Your Straight Edge vs. Mine

Last night I attended a movie screening of 'Edge'.
This is a new documentary about the 'straight edge'
movement that evolved from the punk music scene
in the late '70's and early '80's.

I wasn't well versed on the ideals of a vegan, drug
free, alcohol free , etc movement of this era because
I was to emersed in being a working Mom and trying
to understand who I was married to and why he
wasn't co-operating in the marriage. (Took many
years, separation & divorce to find out he was
bi-polar and self medicating in all the wrong ways)

Throughout this movie I kept thinking that in the
'70's and '80's I was using a 'straight edge' everyday.
I was a drafter for a public utility company and
drew maps of city streets and suburban neighborhoods.
I used various straight edges &  templates to layout
the utility lines to homes and businesses. This was
all done on paper or mylar and created work documents
or permanent mapping layouts. No computers -all done
by hand. That was my 'straight edge'.

Now, beyond that I came from the radical '60's where I
guess my generation started the 'drug culture'. For the
most part I survived without much drug choice besides
beer or wine. I did have that 'self medicating' person
around and might have gone too far every so often as
a 'drinking buddy'. So my generation had to be stopped
in some respects and maybe some of the 'straight edge'
movement addressed that earlier 'freedom' mentality.

I enjoyed the screening and learned a little but knew I
was where I was meant to be and I wasn't joining their
cause. I've already fought the hard fight and cleaned
up the best I could.

When I got home I grabbed my new bottle of Bully Hill
semi-sweet wine I had left in the trunk of my car from
an earlier purchase in the day and proceeded inside
my house.