[[SOME E'S REPLACED WITH X'S IN ORIGINAL TEXT]]

THIS LITTLE ESSAY DRIVES HOME THE POINT, IN A FORCEFUL MANNER, THAT EACH OF US IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE. AND IF YOU DOUBT IT, READ THIS A SECOND TIME. YOU DO COUNT.

EVEN THOUGH MY TYPEWRITER IS AN OLD MODEL, IT WORKS SWELL EXCEPT FOR ONE OF THE KEYS. IVE WISHED MANY TIMES THAT IT WORKED PERFECTLY. TRUE, THERE ARE 42 KEYS THAT FUNCTION, BUT ONE KEY NOT WORKING MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
SOMETIMES, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT OUR ORGANIZATION IS SOMEWHAT LIKE MY TYPEWRITER - NOT ALL THE PEOPLE ARE WORKING PROPERLY. YOU MIGHT SAY, "WELL, IM ONLY ONE PERSON. IT WONT MAKE MUCH DIFFERENCE." BUT YOU SEE, AN ORGANIZATION, TO BE EFFICIENT, NEEDS THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF EVERY PERSON. THE NEXT TIME YOU THINK YOUR EFFORTS AREN'T NEEDED, REMEMBER MY TYPEWRITE, AND SAY TO YOURSELF, "I AM A KEY PERSON AND THEY NEED ME VERY MUCH."

12 GOOD THINGS TO ALWAYS REMEMBER

1) IF YOU OPEN IT, CLOSE IT.
2) IF YOU TURN IT ON, TURN IT OFF.
3) IF YOU UNLOCK IT, LOCK IT UP.
4) IF YOU BREAK IT, ADMIT IT.
5) IF YOU CANT FIX IT, CALL SOMEONE WHO CAN.
6) IF YOU BORROW IT, RETURN IT.
7) IF YOU VALUE IT, TAKE CARE OF IT.
8) IF YOU MAKE A MESS, CLEAN IT UP.
9) IF YOU MOVE IT, PUT IT BACK.
10) IF IT BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE, GET PERMISSION TO USE IT.
11) IF YOU DONT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT, LEAVE IT ALONE.
12) IF ITS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, DONT ASK QUESTIONS.

"IF I COULD WISH FOR MY LIFE TO BE PERFECT, IT WOULD BE TEMPTING, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO DECLINE, FOR LIFE WOULD NO LONGER TEACH ME ANYTHING."

Submitted by:
Joey Dan Rucinski

THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
4-24-11

I FIRST MET HER IN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WAS OLDER THAN I, AND EXCITING. SHE'D BEEN AROUND. MY MOM WARNED ME TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HER. MOM CLAIMED NO GOOD COULD COME FROM OUT RELATIONSHIP.
BUT I KEPT MEETING HER ON THE SLY. SHE WAS SO SOPHISTICATED & WORDLY. IT MADE ME FEEL GROWN UP JUST BEING WITH HER. IT WAS FUN TO TAKE HER TO A PARTY THOSE DAYS. SHE WAS ALMOST ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
WE BEGAN SEEING MORE & MORE OF EACH OTHER. WHEN I GOT A PLACE OF MY OWN, SHE WAS A FREQUENT GUEST. IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL SHE MOVED IN WITH ME. IT MAY HAVE BEEN COMMON-LAW, BUT IT WAS HEART BREAKING FOR MY MOM. I KEPT REMINDING MYSELF I WASNT A KID ANYMORE. BESIDES, ALL MY FRIENDS DID IT.
WE LIVED TOGETHER FOR YEARS. I SELDOM WENT ANYWHERE WITHOUT HER, BUT I WASNT BLIND. I KNEW SHE WAS SCREWING AROUND WITH ALL MY FRIENDS. WHATS WORSE, I DIDNT CARE. AS LONG AS SHE WAS THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED HER (AND SHE WAS), IT DIDNT MATTER.
THE LONGER WE LIVED TOGETHER, THE MORE ATTACHED I BECAME. BUT IT WASNT MUTUAL. SHE BEGAN TO DELIGHT IN MAKING ME LOOK FOOLISH IN FRONT OF MY FRIENDS. BUT STILL I COULDNT GIVE HER UP.
IT BECAME A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP. I FIGURED OUT HER GLAMOUR WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A CHEAP MASK TO HIDE HER SPITE & CYNICISM. I COULD NO LONGER SEE HER BEAUTY AFTER I CAME TO KNOW HER TRUE CHARACTER.
BUT OLD HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK. WE HAD INVESTED MANY YEARS IN EACH OTHER. EVEN THOUGH MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MADE ME LOSE A LITTLE RESPECT FOR MYSELF, SHE HAD BECOME THE CENTER OF MY LIFE. WE DIDNT GO ANYWHERE. WE DIDNT DO ANYTHING. WE DIDNT HAVE FRIENDS OVER. IT WAS JUST THE TWO OF US. I BECAME DEEPLY DEPRESSED AND KNEW SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR MY MISERY. I FINALLY TOLD HER I WAS LEAVING FOR GOOD. IT TOOK ALOT OF GUTS, BUT I LEFT.
I STILL SEE HER AROUND. SHES JUST AS BEAUTIFUL AS WHEN WE MET. I STILL MISS HER NOW AND THEN. IM NOT BOASTING WHEN I SAY SHED TAKE ME BACK IN A MINUTE. BUT BY THE GRACE OF GOD, ILL NEVER TAKE UP WITH HER AGAIN.
IF YOU SEE HER GIVE HER MY REGARDS. I DONT HATE HER I JUST LOVED HER TOO MUCH. CHANCES ARE YOU MIGHT KNOW HER - HER NAME IS CRYSTAL METHAMPHETAMINE. :( :(

THE LOW DOWN ON DRUGS

I AM WRITING THIS FROM A PRISON CELL: :(

DRUGS ARE EVERYWHERE, THEY'RE EASY TO GET, EASY TO USE AND EVEN EASIER TO GET HOOKED ON. THESE WORDS CERTAINLY HAVE THE RING OF TRUTH, BUT MOST PEOPLE DONT KNOW HOW HOOKED THEY CAN GET. I KNOW BECAUSE I GOT HOOKED ON METH (ICE) THE FIRST TIME I TRIED IT. I LOST MY JOB, I LOST MY NEW TRUCK AND I LOST THE RESPECT OF MANY PEOPLE WHO LOVED ME.
MORE THAN ONCE, I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULD QUIT THE CRAZINESS, AND I DID QUIT - FOR 24 HOURS. BUT I COULDNT STAY AWAY FROM THE STUFF. IN 2005 I WAS ARRESTED FOR MANUFACTURING METH. IVE BEEN IN PRISON SINCE THEN AND I HAVE A LONG WAYS TO GO BEFORE I GET OUT OF PRISON. :(
SOMETIMES I WONDER WILL THIS NIGHTMARE EVER END? PLEASE LET ME TELL YOU READERS THAT DRUGS KILL AND WILL TAKE FROM YOU EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER CARED ABOUT. THIS IS REAL TALK. IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT TRYING IT FOR KICKS, DONT. IF YOU ARE USING IT, GET SOME HELP. YOU DONT WANT TO END UP IN PRISON LIKE ME. ITS VERY LONELY AND ITS PURE HELL!! I PROMISE YOU IF YOUR MESSING WITH DRUGS ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU END UP IN A JAIL CELL OR IN A GRAVE YARD IF YOU DONT GET SOME HELP NOW.

FOREVER KEEPING IT REAL, JOEY DON RUCINSKI
"THE OUTLAW"

Joey Don Rucinski