The first time I ever "SAW" crack was November 22nd of 2003.

Since that day in November 2003 my life has changed dramatically. Almost everyone I knew before I found crack has been impacted by my use and their lives have had a dramatic change as a result of my mistake.

For me, the changes have been good and bad. I regret that I ever used that night in November 2003, yet I do not regret how the whole experience has changed me. I do not regret the fact that my whole opinion and understanding of drugs, especially crack, and users has done a complete 180 degree turn. Before using that first time I believed that all drug users were low life scum and did not deserve a second chance. I believed that drug users were nearly always second class citizens that never tried to make anything of themselves. I believed that only bad people used drugs, and as much as I regret it now, I taught my kids the same.

I was a product of my up bringing and environement. No, thats not a cop out, just the truth. My friends and loved ones felt the same way about drugs and users as I and that is why it was so hard for them to accept when they discovered that "MIKE" had become one of those "druggies."

Now I don't know if God allowed those days to happen to wake me up to the reality of crack, drugs, our society, or human nature itself. I don't know if it happened to humble me and teach me that "NOBODY" is above sin, no matter how bad. I ask myself everyday why it had to happen and I ask God that if He was trying to teach me a lesson, why did I have to loose so much and cause so much pain.

The past has shown me my mortality. I am one in 7 billion people in this world and each one has the same "gift" of free will. Each one is a product of their environment yet each is susceptible to the same choice of right or wrong.

I have learned many lessons over the past few years but one of the biggest is that "nobody" is immune from the evil of crack cocaine. The sad reality is that when a person makes that choice to try it for the first time, everyone they know will be effected to some extent. During the first few years I was using I only thought I was hurting myself.

How foolish of me!

The reality of Crack is that is is no respecter of persons. It doesn't care who you are or how much money you make....it will still take it all. The reality of crack is that it will not settle with only bringing you down, it wants everyone close to you. Just like a some terrorist hell bent on taking out an entire city, crack will continue to destroy everything in its path as long as it is given opportunity.

"The Enchanted Crack Forest"

Does that sound like the title to a fairytale that ends "Happily Ever After?"

What amazes me is that for 5 years I honestly think Satan had me believing that my fairy "crack" tale would have a happy ending. Every single person that is now using crack or has used crack believes at some point that they can smoke crack and still lead a normal life.

The sad stories are the ones where the main characters are born into an environment where using crack "IS" considered being "normal." I truly believe that for a person to be able to stop using crack, he MUST have a reason to stop. What about the millions of crack users that do not have a reason to stop. Yes, there are millions that use crack everyday and feel they have no reason to stop... and The Reality of Crack is that they will die thinking that they had no choice.

Its bad enough that crack can make someone who grew up believing that drugs are bad still go as far as to use his children's lunch money to buy crack, but for those that were never taught The Reality of Crack?" They are seduced by the false feeling that what they are doing is their only choice for a "normal" life.

The Reality of Crack is that it gets young and old, rich and poor, Christian and Pagan, Educated and inarticulate.... and will continue to seduce them into thinking that it will never let them down. That it will always fill that weakness that we all have within us... the weakness of doubt.

In "Romans 10:9-10" we read:

Verse 10 says: for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness

Is that what makes a seemingly "good" person resort to crack? Is that what makes the a person born into crack continue to live a worthless existence? Is that what made me, a Christian, go looking for something I thought I was missing?

Is it that we all need something to believe in? Well, I believed in God..but it wasn't enough... I still used crack for 5 years.

The Reality of Crack..... at least in my mind... is that it prays on all of us that do not believe in "OURSELVES"

No, I am not saying that we should make ourselves God.... but God gives us free will and there has only been ONE person in the history of mankind that has used His free-will to make ALL the right choices.... every other one of us has at one point or another used our free-will to hurt ourselves, others, or both.

The Reality of Crack is that is is very good at capitalizing on our weaknesses. It will convinced you that you can't live without it, and even goes one step further and has you believe that living a "normal" life is possible. The non-user effected by crack is left feeling hopeless and alone.

"for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness"

The Reality of Crack is that, like the "Fairy Tale" with the "Happily Ever After" ending... it is false and someone always ends up getting hurt.

When I was using crack I felt I was in a "Fairy Tale" because a hit of the pipe gave me a feeling of Euphoria that can only be described as a "fabrication" of fictional pleasure. All my cares, stress, doubt and pain was put on hold while I participated in false consciousness.

The Reality of Crack is that the feeling or effect that it gives is as false as the "Fairy Tale" stories we heard as children, yet the wake of destruction that results from allowing it to maintain its pseudo fantasy is as REAL as the ground we walk on.

The Reality of Crack is that it is REAL, it is EVIL, and it will without a doubt lead anyone willing to follow it to the depths of HELL.....

The Reality of God or "good vs evil" is that "for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness." Crack can be conquered and there is always hope........and no matter who you are or where you came from.. there is always a reason to stop the madness of crack...

I am not the same person I was 5 years and although I had to experience the "False Fairy Tale" of crack hell, I look at life and mankind in a completely different way than I did before.