that's cool

  I wonder about those folks forty or more that still talk about getting drunk, high or having sex with the giddiness of a teenager. With the big push for the federal legalization of pot I see that quite often. It just all seems so immature to me. C'mon people do we really need to broadcast our vices to gain some sort of social acceptance. Are you all really that insecure? Reminds me of when I joined the Navy. Whenever I went to a new command the attempt was made to discover if I was cool. That was important to know. I could be a narc. Are you cool? I'm cool, he's cool but he's not cool. Be cool man. I'm calling it Mary Jane because the square people won't know what I mean. Drinking alcohol was a given and you were certainly expected to get drunk at every opportunity. And sex, well that's all that was talked about! This was in the age of Pin-Ups, Playboy, and VHS tapes. Back when there were only two genders and one choice. Anything other than that wasn't cool.  

  This came to mind once again when all at once my Facebook news feed became filled with advertisements for gummies. Apparently, you can order marijuana laced gummies online. These ads all had "adults" enjoying the effects of these gummies. Their quality of lives has been restored and they are having sex once again because of these mood enhancers. Young again! That was the gist of the ads I did watch. One even had Grandpa being pleasant, no longer a grumpy old man. No sir, Grandpa was cool. And you get to choose your strength from a mild buzz to zoned out. At least one advised you to use responsibly, they are so good you might become a stoner. The thing being advertised is the "mood" altering effects of these gummies, along with the ease of use. Just pop'em in whenever you're feeling down. You can carry them in your pocket or purse. No mention of any medicinal benefit. 

  I have seen some ads on television using a slogan, "I can tell." A young man pulls into his driveway and his Mom comes out of the house, she walks over to the car and says, " I can tell." She then calmly explains to him that driving while high is against the law, same as a DWI. Mom isn't upset that he is getting high, just that he is driving high. There is another with a police officer doing a roadside check, he says, "I can tell." The underlining message in these ads is that it's fine to get high, that's cool. You just have to be cool. I remember when those type of ads involved a frying pan, and this is your mind on drugs. That was back in 1987. Now frying your brain is cool, it's legal, it's easy and convenient. Others can tell however, so. be cool.  

  And I get it, that's the bottom line in all of this. You have to be cool. It was that way with cigarettes, wine and liquor. It's about social pressure, fitting in, being accepted in the group. Today you have to support the use of pot and possibly other drugs. You have to be "woke" bro! Being cool today means accepting whatever the mainstream narrative happens to be. It was that way in the past too, but we called it being a rebel. We boomers were aware of the bad choices we were making, we didn't deny that we just dropped out and tuned in. Later we boomers restricted the use of cigarettes and alcohol citing health concerns. Yes, it was boomers, us old people that passed that legislation citing health concerns. At 21 you can purchase it all, including those gummies. Now that's cool. 

  I've always been amused by the facade associated with all of that. This beer or wine tastes so good, so refreshing. This bourbon or whiskey is delicious. I have always known the truth; it doesn't taste that good but drink enough and you think it does. It isn't about the taste at all. It is about fitting in and getting that "feeling" that comes along with the consumption of that cheer. Yeah, that's what the deal is regardless of all the other stuff. People drink for the effect. 

  Cigarettes were more about appearance; you looked tough or cool depending upon the situation. Now only the uneducated, the poor and the social outcasts smoke cigarettes. Not cool. Smoking a joint, rolling one up, doing some gummies, that's cool. Really cool if you are doing that at an LGBTQ+ event with your non-binary friends and drag queens protesting climate change. You believe you were assigned the wrong gender at birth. Cool. Smoking cigarettes just isn't cool man, but inhaling Mary Jane deep into your lungs, well that's old school cool. Still cool, but you might want to consider those gummies. 

  Well, I'll just try to be cool about it all. I have no desire to try any of those gummies because I'm under no social pressure to do so. Forty years ago, or more, I'm certain I would feel differently. I have learned a few life lessons along the way. I have discovered that altering your mood by the use of outside influences such as drugs and alcohol only creates a temporary reprieve from what we call life. Oh, it can be fun, no doubt about that, but it shouldn't become your life. Just be cool about it. And yes, I can tell. I'm just wondering how long it will be before the advertising of those gummies becomes more restrictive. Get high responsibly! You gotta love it. It's very progressive, empowering even. And that, that is cool. Don't get me started on the ads for Viagra, generic Viagra and all the others. Well, that's what makes you a man right? Yeah, that's the message.