Outlaw/Tod:
Please do not take my words as judgment. I have told you my past, I did a lot of drugs, drank like a fish too. Just like Tod, learned many things under the influence & the HARD WAY. First, I have no beef w/ Methadone... saved my butt once actually... but it never made me "high"... just tired... kept me sober for a year too. Outlaw, you are my brutha... you know I love you. If I were you... I would be taking Oxy/Methadone too... to be entirely honest, Heroin is a very effective pain killer & I might use that if I was in enough pain like you. The fact is, I am not in pain so i cannot take those things EVER AGAIN or it will kill me... cause I will not stop. Outlaw, your situation is different & you need medication or you will go nuts dealing with day in, day out pain. As far as going 194MPH in LH circles for 100's of laps, I want to do it w/ sober folks if I have a choice. The difference is Outlaw is probably immune to Opiates, doubt you get "high" anymore unless you are close to OD. As far as drugs in our culture goes, I have no doubt that fine race cars/ hot rods can be produced under the influence of drugs... just like Jimmy Hendrix could play great guitar w/ multiple acid hits soaking in his head under a sweat-band... same thing. There is a lot of things such as art forms done on drugs & we all know that is a fact... like it or not.
As an addict/alcoholic, I cannot "smoke a joint" or "have a beer" etc... my sobriety is the most important thing in my life. Naturally, I cannot relate to the casual user/drinker at all. That said, I DO NOT WANT TO SEE A SICK PERSON LIKE MYSELF IN A RACE CAR UNLESS HE/SHE IS STONE COLD SOBER. Thanks for all your support; it is good to know I am amongst friends here who will not judge me b/c of this... I have been sober from drugs now for 6 years on opiates, 15 on alcohol. Last, I found God this way... he mended me in my worst pathetic state... I was blessed not to die instead. I just told you guys my biggest skeleton I have in my closet. Scooter