The jay walker

From the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, page 37 The jay-walker parable reworded for alcohol.

Our behavior is as absurd and incomprehensible with respect to the first drink as that of an individual with a passion, say, for jay-walking. He gets a thrill out of hanging out at bars. He enjoys himself for a few years in spite of friendly warnings. Up to this point you would label him as a foolish chap having queer ideas of fun. Luck then deserts him and he goes out on sprees several times in succession. Presently he gets drunk again and this time he ends up in the hospital. Within a week after leaving the hospital he's back drinking. He tells you he has decided to stop drinking for good, but in a few weeks he is back drinking.

On through the years this conduct continues, accompanied by his continual promises to be careful or to keep away from the bars altogether. Finally, he can no longer work, his wife gets a divorce and he is held up to ridicule. He tries every known means to get the drinking idea out of his head. He shuts himself up in an asylum, hoping to mend his ways. But the day he comes out he races back to the bar, which sets off another spree. Such a man would be crazy, wouldn't he?

You may think our illustration is too rdiculous. But is it? We, who have been through the wringer, have to admit if we substituted alcoholism for jay-walking, the illustration would fit us exactly.

The jay-walker parable reworded for for drug addicts.

Our behavior is as absurd and incomprehensible with respect to the first hit as that of an individual with a passion, say, for jay-walking. He gets a thrill out of hanging out at the dealers. He enjoys himself for a few years in spite of friendly warnings. Up to this point you would label him as a foolish chap having queer ideas of fun. Luck then deserts him and he goes out on sprees several times in succession. Presently he gets loaded again and this time he ends up in the hospital. Within a week after leaving the hospital he's back using. He tells you he has decided to stop using for good, but in a few weeks he is back using.

On through the years this conduct continues, accompanied by his continual promises to be careful or to keep away from the dealers altogether. Finally, he can no longer work, his wife gets a divorce and he is held up to ridicule. He tries every known means to get the using idea out of his head. He shuts himself up in an asylum, hoping to mend his ways. But the day he comes out he races back at the dealer, which sets off another spree. Such a man would be crazy, wouldn't he?

You may think our illustration is too rediculous. But is it? We, who have been through the wringer, have to admit if we substituted alcoholism for jay-walking, the illustration would fit us exactly.