?Junkie?Stephen Reid
... you too paradise and definitely do not take away your problems. A lot of people think that taking drugs will take away you pains and sorrows but Stephen claims that it?s not true. He claims that ?the key to the gates of paradise was [not] a filled syringe? (167). Past experiences have told me that Stephens?s statements are true. Doing drugs don?t take away your pains and sorrows, it only makes them worse. While reading the personal story ?Junkie?, I had many thought and opinions and felt various emotions. Two of the main emotions I had felt were sadness and anger. Reading parts of the story had made me sad, especially when were told how Stephens father had never appreciated him. We learn that his father did care about him, but didn?t show it at all. When Stephen had been involved with Paul, he tells us that if his dad ever knew about Paul and what he was doing he ?would have killed [him]? (169). I had also experienced anger when we read about how Stephen had stopped all his habits for his family, but then again went back to ?a full-blown heroine and cocaine habit? (182). Even when he had a family he loved and cherished, he had gone back to drugs. We also read while he had gone back to his old habits he had ?committed the worst bank robbery of [his] life, an unprofessional, unnecessary act of violence? (182), I got very angry and kept wondering why he had done that and what he was thinking at that time. As I read this text, I realized that I was able to connect to it because, I, myself had gone threw part of what Stephen had. During my early years of high school, when I was about twelve years old, I had gotten into the habit of taking drugs because of my own personal problems. I had not done the ?hard drugs? that Stephen had, but, I myself had experienced his drugs addicted life. I also, was at a point in my life where I trusted no one and didn?t let anyone into my life for help. Although I still don?t know why I had done such a thing, at this precise moment I regret all my actions. Doing drugs was a time that I honestly enjoyed. Not while taking the drugs, but during the period of time that I would be high. It would seem like nothing in the world mattered, it would seem like I had no problems and that I lived in a world where everything was perfect. I truly and honestly enjoyed that world but at the same time I regret having been in that world, maybe if I hadn?t taking those drugs I would be someone else right now, although I stopped early, I honestly think that maybe I could be someone different now. Someone without the horrible memories of taking drugs. During this period of time I had true friends who cared about me immensely. Everyday they would try to convince me to stop somehow, but being someone stubborn who thought that drugs were the answer to everything, I hadn?t listened to anyone until the end where I realized myself that its either I stop now or ruin the rest of my life, or maybe not even have a life. After all that I had gone through I realized that I was able to connect in ways that I never thought possible to a personal story. I was able to connect to Stephen when he didn?t allow anyone into his life, I had done the same mistake but now have realized that all u have in life is your friends and family, without them life would be impossible. As I read the personal essay ?Junkie?, I found many literary techniques, which in my opinion, has made a difference in how interesting the personal story is to the readers of the text. These literary techniques come out to be very successful for the author. Two o...