Hurry! Grab that red ribbon!

Being the incompetent creature that I unfortunately have the potential to be, I completely blanked out and didn't realize that this was October 1st. Shame on me.

Fear not! I remember now, and so I can (very quickly) deliver my message. It concerns Red Ribbon Week and in my opinion, this is one of the most important posts, if not the most important post, that I have ever done.

As you may or may not know, Red Ribbon Week is a week in October in which those who support drug-free lifestyles show their true colors--or should I say color--by wearing a red ribbon, red wristband, red pin, or something of that sort every day to show that they do not use recreational drugs or abuse any other substances (alcohol, tobacco, etc.). Participation in drug-free activities and parties, meetings, and other fun little things may also take place.

Last year I kind of let RRW pass me by. But this year I am NOT! In fact, I'm taking this a little further. I'm wearing my unofficial "red ribbon" (those of you who have seen me with the red ribbon in my hair know exactly what I'm talking about) every day this month. Is it a silly, symbolic little gesture that will probably go unnoticed? Of course. But I feel really strongly about this issue, and I'm hoping to inspire others to take a stand on this as well.

Let me ask you: Have you ever lost a friend to drugs or alcohol?--and I don't just mean death by this, I mean have you lost them in the sense that they're still alive, but you don't really know them anymore or feel like you have a connection to them? Have you seen your friends get kicked out of school for using drugs or alcohol? Have you seen people you love do stupid, reputation-ruining or life-ruining things while on drugs or alcohol?

While in public school, I witnessed drug addiction, alcohol addiction, smoking addiction - all in kids my age or sometimes even younger. I saw people I cared about doing stupid things and ruining their chances of getting into good colleges by "partying." And even when I transferred to a private boarding school, I witnessed expulsions due to drugs, smoking, and alcohol. Now can you understand my resolve to never, EVER get involved in this stuff, and to try to encourage others to do the same?

Help me out here, guys! On October 23rd--2010's Red Ribbon Day, the kickoff to RRW--show your support of a drug-and-alcohol-free lifestyle by wearing a red ribbon, button, or wristband. It doesn't have to be official, logo-stamped merchandise; it can be as simple as my little red hair ribbon. For the really serious--or crazy--people like me, wear it every day in October. Get people to ask you about it! Wear it to school, wear it to Tom's, wear it to the mall, wear it off-campus, wear it to class, wear it to your junior/senior meetings, wear it in the dorms, wear it EVERYWHERE. Spread the word, especially to your fellow teenagers. This is a chance to show that not all teens are crazy drunk partiers--I think we have a good way here to not only change a stereotype, but also to set a good example. (Upperclassmen, think about this - you've gotta have at least ONE freshman or sophomore who admires you. By wearing your ribbon and talking about this, you might just prevent them from succumbing to the pressure to have illegal "fun" at dances or parties.)

In addition, I'm going to try to get a RRW activity passed through Student Activities. If not, I'll probably hold some sort of unofficial gathering. I'll keep y'all posted on this, but for now just wear the ribbon and I'll figure something out later.

One more thing - I know that to some of you, this is probably kind of silly and unimportant. But this means so much to me, and I would really appreciate it if everyone who is brave enough to be "uncool" in the stereotypical way and proudly admit that they do not do drugs or get drunk would support this cause with me, and help me be truly "revolutionary" (hint hint, returning students) by showing that artists do NOT have to abuse substances and that teenagers do NOT necessarily do nothing but drink and party and get into trouble.

In place of Stolen Dialogue tonight, here are some fun/interesting/informative things to say when people ask you about your ribbon or ask why you don't drink or do drugs:

IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"Don't be such a stick in the mud! Have some fun!"

YOU CAN SAY...
"I can have just as much fun as someone who gets high or drunk, with one bonus: I can remember it the next day."


IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"If you're gonna be an artist, you have to at least TRY weed (or ecstasy, or coke, or whatever)."

YOU CAN SAY...
"Personally, I think it would be harder to be creative when you're stoned (0r high)."


IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"What's up with that red ribbon? It looks so weird."

YOU CAN SAY...
"I look weird? Really? Thanks for the compliment!...oh yeah, by the way, the ribbon is to show that I live a substance-free lifestyle."


IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"Cool people do drugs."

YOU CAN SAY...
"Cool people stand up for what they think is right, and that's what I'm doing right now."


IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"You're totally just doing this because your parents told you to" OR "You're totally just doing this because it looks good on a college app."

YOU CAN SAY...
"No, I'm doing this because I think it's important to be drug-free and live a healthy life."


IF SOMEONE SAYS...
"What's the point?"

YOU CAN SAY...
"The point is to make a difference, one tiny little step at a time."