By Michael BenjaminJunkiesThey proliferate the Bourda Green. Just for the fun of it, I conducted a manual count. In every five persons that passed my way, one was a junkie.They all had one thing in common; they were all smelly and unkempt. They earned their living by providing cheap labour in the daytime, and some of them have admitted to stealing at nights. The majority has suffered the indignity of imprisonment.There was something else that I noticed about these junkies that bothered me. They were resentful of folks that were not of their kin, as though these people were responsible for their sordid state.Every morning, I would arrive at the market at around 07:00hrs and open up my stall to start business for the day. The unavoidable sight of junkies emanating putrid odours, always on the hunt to con some unwittingly hapless soul, all comprised the layout of the market. They disgusted me.Six months ago, on Tuesday March 11, I was standing in close proximity to the Communications Centre at the University of Guyana awaiting the commencement of the DSW 328 lectures. This course dealt specifically with alcoholism and drug abuse.Barely five minutes had elapsed when a man, from among a group of three, approached and attempted to engage me in conversation. My short, crisp responses warned him that I was in no mood for idle talk,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, so he decided to let me be.He and his colleagues subsequently retraced their steps and headed for the Spicy Dish Canteen at the northern end of the campus. Instinctively, I dismissed them from my mind.Unknowingly, I had had my first interaction with one of the members of the recovery community that was there for a planned interactive session with my class. I became aware of their mission only after they had eaten and returned to the classroom.Clarence Young was in charge of the group that included Robert, Wayne, Jack and a lone female, Odessa, who attended the sessions in the capacity of counsellor.She operated out of the Phoenix Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Mon Repos. This institution helps recovering addicts deal with the intricacies associated with recovery.The session lasted for about two hours, with each recovering addict recounting his experiences, the fluctuating circumstances, and the embarrassment associated with substance abuse.RastafarianismI grew up during what I wish to refer to as the ‘Rastafari Boom.’ This was the time when scores of young men screwed up their hair in dread lock fashion and advocated a strong love and devotion to Haile Selassie, His Imperial Majesty. Marijuana was, and still is, regarded as a sacred herb.The ‘Rastas’ would light up the chalice,Cheap Jerseys, and amidst loud chants of “Jah Rastafari,” they would pursue the rituals of smoking ganja while reading the Psalms.I had six brothers, two of whom were ‘Rastas.’ I never smoked weed, but I really enjoyed the ‘ital.’ This meal was cooked in what the ‘Rastas’ referred to as ‘a yat.’They would then scoop hefty portions in a calabash and offer the brethren a sip. I sipped the ‘yude’ but I never smoked the ‘ganja.’StereotypesJunkies are people that are hooked on illicit drugs to the extent that they steal, beg, prostitute,Wholesale China Jerseys, or indulge in other decadent behaviour to feed this vice.History is replete with such individuals who, at one time, were financially well off, until they ill-advisedly experimented with a marijuana cigarette,Cheap Football Jerseys, cocaine, or other addictive substance.The addictive nature of these substances inevitably transforms users into devious, scheming and conniving people.The desire to slake an insatiable thirst for drugs soon ensures the depletion of their funds. Junkies suffer rejection, abuse, and vile criticism from family members as well as associates.With rejection on one hand, and the need to satisfy an insatiable vice on the other, junkies resort to unorthodox methods to feed their illicit vocation.Junkies are virtual nuisances. They will employ crafty ways to swindle a few dollars from gullible people. They ignore basic hygienic procedures, become dirty and unclean and, as a result, carry a terrible odour.Such anti-social dispositions precipitate rejection by family members and close friends. Most junkies are homeless because relatives become disgusted with their dishonesty and deception and reluctantly order them out of the home.Jail is a real and immediate threat because, after junkies would have liquidated all legal options to procure money to feed their habit, they resort to unlawful and anti-social behaviours to attend to their dirty habit. Junkies are parasitic creatures that steal expensive stuff and sell them for ridiculously negligible sums.These are only a small sample of the views I nu