If I Can Do It, Anyone Can by a student. I were to describe just how much I actually consumed. When I used to stumble around in a

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Bryce Heath
5 years ago
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1 If I Can Do It, Anyone Can by a student Believe me: if you want to make changes in your life, you absolutely have the power to do so. I used to smoke so much marijuana every day that it would sound like I m exaggerating if I were to describe just how much I actually consumed. When I used to stumble around in a stoned haze all day, I never would have imagined that I would now be free from addiction, hold a high rank in karate, and become a straight-a college student, well on my way to achieving my goal of being a registered nurse. I have absolutely no doubt that I would never have made the decision to change if it were not for the influence of karate and the people that karate has introduced me to, even though my past has given me many challenges. My dad was a wonderful person and a brilliant artist, but he was also a mentally ill alcoholic. He was around off and on until I was three, when my mom left him. My dad remarried and had two more daughters, but that marriage was fated to play out in the same way that his marriage with my mom had. Fortunately, he kept in touch, and we have also remained in touch with the family of my two half-sisters. My dad died from binge drinking in In my mind, I very much modelled myself after my mom, who was a great parent to me, but she and others who knew my dad always remarked on how much I resembled him, in appearance but also in habits, mannerisms, interests, and mood. It was the mood part of that resemblance that worried my mom. Even when I was a child she would often say things like, I love how much you are like your dad, but it worries me. Looking back on it, I realize that it bothered me that she made those kinds of statements. However, as I entered my teenage years, I made a lifelong resolution never to drink. I was aware that alcoholism is genetic and that I was therefore prone to it, and I also had a certain resentment

2 towards alcohol and what its influence had done to my family. My resolution to abstain has remained absolute. I have, literally, never drank, ever, and furthermore I have observed that I generally do not enjoy others as much when they are under the influence of alcohol. This is not to say that I was by any means a purist. I began smoking marijuana when I was sixteen years old, and quickly became a daily smoker. By the time I was in my twenties I was smoking it absolutely every day of my life. I enjoyed it, and felt that its effects matched my personality. I believed that it helped make me the person I wanted to be, and that I was actually healthier because of it. There was what could best be described as a spiritual connection to the plant-being, which I still believe may have been true. I also felt that being able to smoke pot helped keep me from becoming an alcoholic, which I also still believe may have been true. I related to the culture of the people who used it. Later in life, my habit became even heavier, and I would smoke pot several times every day. I actually took pride in how much I smoked, and I had no shame or guilt about it. I was open about it with my family, smoked it in public, in the car, and in front of my son. I have grown it large-scale for profit, and was thoroughly saturated with its influence, culturally, chemically, and spiritually. Let s just say that I smoked A LOT, in case I have not made that clear already! My son and I began studying traditional karate five-and-a-half years ago with Saito Soke. Karate teaches the importance of being pure in body and mind, and, while training in class, the reasons for that became quite apparent. Saito Soke is very persuasive and has a strong anti-drug message, and I quickly realized that being stoned was not conducive to the effective practice of karate. I desperately wanted to be a good influence for my son and I was serious about getting good at karate. My daughter was about to be born, and so it was a time for new beginnings. I will never forget the night, only two weeks after I started karate, when I told my wife the words

3 that I had thought a thousand times but never had the courage to say: I m going to stop smoking pot. Now, over five years later, I have maintained my dedication to that decision. I have not smoked even one single time, and I intend that I never will again. I did not have to demonize marijuana to be able to quit, and I still associate with all the same people. I don t look down on my old friends who still smoke pot; they have my respect and I accept that they are free to use marijuana, and are doing so for their own reasons. Karate has become a very important part of our lives. My son and I have won numerous medals competing in karate, as well as other awards. They even let us help teach at the dojo. I feel that the way I used karate as a practice to help me quit is worth sharing. Saito Soke explains that to change bad habits, you have to replace them with good habits. This is exactly what I did: during the time that I had to consciously work to change my behavior, whenever I had the urge to smoke, I would practice karate. I also substituted other positive behaviors, such as preparing healthy food. Ultimately, I believe, I was able to quit because of spending time in the presence of Saito Soke s strong spirit. The point which I am really hoping to make is that bad habits can be overcome. As my karate practice became increasingly serious, I gained a certain clarity of mind that allowed me to see that, for the benefit of my family, I needed to pursue a profession that will afford us a more comfortable lifestyle, and one in which I could take pride in knowing that I am helping others. Somehow I knew that to become a nurse had always been my secret dream. I have always idolized nurses as heroes. I summoned the courage to cultivate the intention to go to college to become an RN, after which I plan on working towards a degree in Spanish.

4 Coming to college was at first very humbling for me, because I didn t know how to do anything- I had to ask for a lot of help and be willing to embarrass myself with all my stupid questions. I entered the GED program. They assessed me and told me that I didn t need their classes and should go ahead and take my GED tests. I scored one-hundred percent on three of the five GED tests, and ninety-nine percent on the other two! That was exciting for me. Just a high school dropout, I truly never knew that I was academically inclined. I continued to surprise myself by placement testing into the highest level of classes- I knew I was a decent reader and writer, but testing into Math 95, not having taken any previous college math, really made me happy. Since then I have been attending continuously over the past two years. I have over onehundred credits and a 4.0 GPA. This June I received an associate s degree, and I have been accepted into the highly competitive nursing program which began this fall, to begin on my next degree. I didn t enter college with the expectation of being able to get straight A s. I planned on trying hard, but I just didn t know that it was realistic to expect that of myself. Having been through all of the Anatomy & Physiology series, which are a huge amount of work, and my archenemies Math 95 and Math 111, as well as many other classes, and still have a 4.0, has led some to believe that it is easy for me. It is not. I do not have a great level of comprehension or retention; I make up for this by spending ridiculous amounts of time studying. I make sacrifices every day in order to keep my grades up, and my family also makes sacrifices. We are poor, living off a very small amount of income. My wife has also started college full-time, which of course takes more time and money. We are flat broke most of the time. When I hear young students who live with their parents say things like, I didn t have time to study, I don t have much sympathy. I am involved with my two kids, have very good attendance at karate class, and

5 still get straight A s. It is not a luxurious lifestyle, and I certainly don t get enough sleep. I am personally very proud of getting good grades while maintaining my karate practice, and I seriously believe that my karate discipline has helped me to succeed in college. So why am I so excited about excelling in junior college at the age of 42? It is because of where I ve come from. The changes I ve had to make to get where I m going are huge. Ten years ago, what my life was like, I never would have imagined that I would be successfully on my way to becoming a nurse. Those who have known me for a long time say that they are not in the least bit surprised that I do well in college. But I am surprised, and if I can do it, anyone can do it.

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