CWM Gets To Teach Impressionable teens

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Sorta.

 

After I graduated from the AA program I contacted my old High School Principal about doing a presentation at my old High School. He'd retired since then but told me he'd look into it.

 

I pretty much forgot about it until last night when I got a call asking me to come in tomorrow to present. It's on Alcohol Abuse.

 

This is either going to kick ass or I'm going to puke everywhere.

 

So do you guys have any good memories of public speakers at your HS's or where they all lame.

 

We had one or two that were cool. They swore and told funny stories that made you think. I hope I can do half that well.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Do the Austin beer truck routine.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Well I hope to get away with a few F bombs but I think that'll be frowned upon.

 

I've got some good stories thatll scare the shit out of them.

 

Plus my brother and his friends will be there so I can embaress them all by making them take part in a play.

 

This is going to own.

[Sass 0]

Don't sugar coat things but don't give them the impression that you still wish you could live those days out again. This would negate your discussion.

 

Just be brutally honest but also talk *to* them about these things, not at them.

 

I've talked with my kid brother's friends before about my problems with substance abuse in the past and it's really all about being open and honest while maintaining a level of "I was like you and you'll make your own decisions on things but I'll share with you what happened with me."

 

If you tell them "don't do drugs" then they'll think you're a "sell-out" or something ridiculous and you'll lose them.

 

Just be honest and descriptive about your experiences.

 

I think you'll do good CWM.

 

I'm sure some of TSM's high school folks here can give you some more pointers on what to do and what not to do when talking to their peers.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

Have you done something like this before and do you have a plan or are you just going to go up there and shoot from the hip?

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

I got my brother to stop doing drugs and I convince myself everyday not to drink which is my extent of experince.

 

I have a few high notes I've got planned out but most of it is from the hip.

 

I want to take them on a journey through my life. For them to see why I started, why I got worse, how it came to a head, and how I quit and stayed quit,.

[OldSchoolWrestling 0]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Stephen Popick saved the board though. So in a way CWM owes his life to Stephen Popick. Which means he needs to bring in large blown up photos of Popick to show the children that they too can become a success if they follow the teachings of Popick.

[justsoyouknow 0]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

The man is going to help others better their lives and you mock him. Maybe you should give a speech at your former high school and talk about how to be a disgrace of a human being.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

See, I don't get all this talking business. I lead by example. When kids see me doing things like playing an acoustic guitar in the rain with a bunch of lyrics that don't quite make sense, they figure "Man, that dude's pretty fucked up, let's never be like him."

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

The man is going to help others better their lives and you mock him. Maybe you should give a speech at your former high school and talk about how to be a disgrace of a human being.

I'm sure it's an inside joke. He meant nothing by it.

 

CWM, just be really descriptive with the examples of pain that you use. We high schoolers have high "standards" for that sort of thing.

[justsoyouknow 0]

Make sure you establish the fact that you're "just like us". If you can relate to teenagers, then you're a teenager, as far as we're concerned. But try not to be too preachy. If you come across as preachy, you'd immediately going to lose half of the audience. Just talk about how it started out as a social thing (which I'm guessing), and elevated from there, to the point where things got really bad. Be sure to cover your son, your stints in rehab, etc. If you want to be hardcore, talk about your brother. That would open some people's eyes.

[Guest Jimbo]

Make jokes and screw up on purpose.

 

Seriously, it works. Or at least with my class. For some reason, teenagers become more friendly to slackers because THEY are slackers.

 

Obviously, don't kill yourself by pretending to be a dummy, but just saying...don't go up there all stiff and try to be perfect. Relax and have fun.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Admit something about drugs that compromised your sexuality or toilet functions. Teens understand disgust.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

He's 3 years removed from being a teen. Something tells me he'll be able to relate.

 

Basically follow what Sass said and make sure to scare them shitless too. We had drug addicts from some jail program come in to talk to us. One of them had AIDS and everything. The fact they were in their late 30s/early 40s however and not really knowing what the world was like today from being incarcerated for the past 10 years(at least) made them difficult to follow. Infact as soon as I got out of school that day I smoked a fat bowl and made fun of them.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

The man is going to help others better their lives and you mock him. Maybe you should give a speech at your former high school and talk about how to be a disgrace of a human being.

Why are you so touchy?

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

CWM better not speak as he types...or he'll be shit upon.

 

And yes, every motivational speaker was extremely lame. We had a Christian dj come one time...eh laid the beats while some boxer from Moose Jaw shadow punched for 5 minutes. It was absolutely horrible. Incidently CWM, my friends and I did a skit mocking every motivational speaker we ever had for Variety Night in high school. Needless to say, it was a rousing success. Everyone could relate, and we weren't very nice about it at all. Don't open yourself up to such harsh critisism - kids can be ruthless.

 

PS. Whats with me sharing all of my adolescent stories today? Fuck, I don't even feel very reminiscent; its just the way the chips have fallen today.

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

Whatever you do, do NOT brag about how much women you got while drinking.

 

You'll lose about 98% of the male audience. The other 2% are the mentally handicapped or gay.

 

Edit: This post was in joking fassion, incase anyone takes what I say seriously.

[justsoyouknow 0]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

The man is going to help others better their lives and you mock him. Maybe you should give a speech at your former high school and talk about how to be a disgrace of a human being.

Why are you so touchy?

It's my nature.

[Drury37 0]

We had a Christian dj come one time...eh laid the beats while some boxer from Moose Jaw shadow punched for 5 minutes. It was absolutely horrible.

WTF?!?! HAHA!!!

Thanks.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Can you throw in the part about how "The Board" saved you?

Ha. I may just. I do have my DAMES t-shirt.

 

Stephen Popick saved the board though. So in a way CWM owes his life to Stephen Popick. Which means he needs to bring in large blown up photos of Popick to show the children that they too can become a success if they follow the teachings of Popick.

 

I was told not to bring gruesome images...sorry.

 

 

The man is going to help others better their lives and you mock him. Maybe you should give a speech at your former high school and talk about how to be a disgrace of a human being.

 

It's okay J., he's joking. OldSchool's a UGS guy too.

 

CWM, just be really descriptive with the examples of pain that you use. We high schoolers have high "standards" for that sort of thing.

 

Yeah I've got some scars and stuff as well as pictures the police took of me after a bar fight that should help with that.

 

Make sure you establish the fact that you're "just like us". If you can relate to teenagers, then you're a teenager, as far as we're concerned. But try not to be too preachy. If you come across as preachy, you'd immediately going to lose half of the audience. Just talk about how it started out as a social thing (which I'm guessing), and elevated from there, to the point where things got really bad. Be sure to cover your son, your stints in rehab, etc. If you want to be hardcore, talk about your brother. That would open some people's eyes.

 

I was going to wear a bandana but Banky says that's not a good idea... My bro's going to be there so I don't think I'll touch on that this time but I'll do the rest. Good Stuff man.

 

Basically follow what Sass said and make sure to scare them shitless too. We had drug addicts from some jail program come in to talk to us. One of them had AIDS and everything. The fact they were in their late 30s/early 40s however and not really knowing what the world was like today from being incarcerated for the past 10 years(at least) made them difficult to follow. Infact as soon as I got out of school that day I smoked a fat bowl and made fun of them.

 

Yeah that was what I used to do to. I thnk I've got a few stories that will shock them.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I think they'll respect you more since you're closer to their age as well. Probably goes without saying but don't talk down to them either. They'll resent you if they feel you're going with a "Smarter than though" approach.

[MrRant 0]

You mean "Smarter than thou" .

[Guest Retro Rob]

Try to make it a little interactive. Since you know some of the people who will be there, you can use them as "moles" in terms of asking/answering questions or they could give you a heads up on which students will not be afraid to interact.

[Nighthawk 0]

Admit that smoking weed doesn't hurt you. You'll have them eating from your hand.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Try to make it a little interactive. Since you know some of the people who will be there, you can use them as "moles" in terms of asking/answering questions or they could give you a heads up on which students will not be afraid to interact.

Indeed Rob. I plan on making my brother and his buddies help out. they're class clowns so it should go well.

 

 

and IDRM on weed I'll be saying:

 

"And then there's Marijuana. Well this is is Canada and I don't really remember the last time someone got in a room clearing brawl after smoking a bowl....so let's forget about that"

 

or something to that effect,

[MrRant 0]

Bring in that picture of Mole smoking a cig.

 

Tell them you'll end up like that if you continue on that path.

[Nighthawk 0]

That's real good. Teens react to weed like grade schoolers (or is it primary school in Canada?) react to pizza.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

You mean "Smarter than thou" .

This time I was actually watching baseball so it was a typo rather than my horrid skills of spelling at work. I'll leave it there though so your post makes sense.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Wow, I didn't know you were a graduate of the AA program. Good for you. Also remember this, if only one of those kids listen to you, it's worth it.