I made A's in every class that didn't include homework or attendance in the grade (I was once given a B in a class because of absences where the lowest grade I made on a test was a 93%, and in another I made a 78-79% where homework was 20% of the grade - which I never needed to complete to learn the material).

During those early years, I was surrounded by kids of all ages that were users - and some abusers - of behavioral modification drugs such as Ritalin. Although I was offered these other legal drugs on several occasions, I never accepted.

I tried methamphetamine one time when I was 15, and it nearly caused me to kill a good friend in a fit of rage. That was my first and last experience with meth. It is a terrible prohibition related drug that every person should resist if offered. Over the years, I have seen many otherwise good people fall victim to its hold.

Other than that, I have never moved on to any other drug besides alcohol and tobacco. I have never tried cocaine, ecstasy, or any of the other widely available and popular drugs. I took oxycodone for a short period when I had back surgery but never developed an addiction. I smoked cigarettes from the time I was 12 until I was 29 (17 years). I successfully quit that deadly habit with the help of nicotine patches.