Marijuana and Canadian Mist Week

As many of you know who lived in Madison County in 1975 and before, it was such the polar opposite of what it is today. I would venture to guess at least 75% of it was pasture. At least that is what I saw from my bedroom window in Gateway North. We faced Old Canton Road and there was only vacant land as far as my eyes can see. I had come from West Jackson, also not what it is today, but at least there were shopping centers, Shoney's, Capitol Music, a Krystal, etc., etc. Needless to say moving to Madison County put me into at best a shock and at worst depression.

There were many firsts in store for me that year. I had never ridden a school bus, had not gone to a public school since 1^st grade and, since I had so many “beauty attributes” as I have previously told you about, I was constantly made fun of. Oh, and did I mention the joy of getting braces on my teeth? That was just the icing on this cake. Put me right over the edge into what I'm sure has been a character on
“Tales From the Crypt”. I may have even looked like the Crypt Keeper himself, I don't know, I've tried to block the face in my 1975 mirrors from what is left of my mind.

There were a group of kids that always skipped lunch and went to a huge oak tree way in the back of the school yard. One of them asked me if I wanted to come with them. Believe me, I was glad for ANY invitation at that point. So off I ran to the tree where there were about about 5 or 6 kids passing around a joint. I had to ask what a joint was. I was so, so, so naive! When it got passed to me I took a puff, held it in as I was told to do and then exhaled. I felt nothing. But we did have a half hour for lunch so after about the 4^th time it was passed to me (by this time a 2^nd one had been lit) I was feeling SOMETHING. Not exactly sure what I was feeling but it was definitely different than anything I had ever felt. The 4^th period class bell rang to we all ran back to the school and I went into my history class. Either that teacher's head was spinning around or mine was. It was probably mine! I felt weird the rest of the day and decided I would not be joining the people under the oak tree anymore.

That same week my best friend from my previous school was coming to spend the weekend with me out in the boondocks! I was thrilled to say the least! We went to her West Jackson neighborhood and picked her up on Friday night. We were so glad to see each other!

My friend had a boyfriend with a car! We were 14 and he must have been 17 or so. My friend and I could get pretty crafty when left to our own devices, by the way. She talked him into coming all the way from where? West Jackson! He found us and we found out how to sneak out my bedroom window. It must have been at least 2:00 AM and my parents room was way at the other end of our house so we weren't too terribly worried about getting caught.

You know, this guy could have been 17 or 23 for all I really knew. He did have a gallon of Canadian Mist that he brought specially for cruising around the back roads of Madison County. First he take a big chug, then my friend would take a chug and when it was handed to me I took a big chug, too! Seemed like the thing to do. Didn't want to offend anyone, right?

It's hard to describe the intermingled feelings after that first chug (my first chug of anything alcoholic). There was a horrible taste in my mouth, my throat felt like it was on fire and my stomach started rolling a little. But it seemed the more we chugged, the bad feelings subsided somewhat and there was a, for lack of a better term, happiness that came over me. Over all of us, really! We were jammin' to ZZQ, singing to the songs we knew and laughing uncontrollably as we swerved around on those back roads. It is truly God's grace that we were not killed or killed someone else!

However, the longer and more we swerved, my head began to spin and my stomach started a rolling like I had never felt. I spent the ride home with my head hanging out the window, um...to put it politely as possible, relieved myself of all the Canadian Mist I had ingested. Quite a week, first time to smoke pot and first time to get sick off of alcohol! Good times!!