Dr. George Washington Carver once said, "We are the architects of our own fortune and the hewers out of our own destiny." Basically, the choices we make today determine our tomorrow.
Although we all make bad choices at times in our lives, our goal is to get as much information about something and make the best decision we can at the time. What we must then do is learn to face the consequences of those choices.
The young man at the beginning of this drama has to make a choice about drugs and alcohol. He has already made some wrong choices in the past.
Our society is caught up with the idea that "every one else is in control of my destiny." This is simply not true. We live in America in a period of time that provides us with more opportunities, freedoms and choices than at any other time in history.
Granted, there are things that we cannot change like the conditions into which we are born or the place we grow up. However, we can choose to have a good attitude, and we can choose the way we might handle a difficult or emotional situation.
Dr. George Washington Carver made choices in his life which inspire and encourage us even today. He was born into slavery; yet he became one of the most respected and admired men in American history. Was he able to do that because the government gave him land? No. Was he a revered scientist because someone gave him a diploma? No. He simply chose to become educated no matter what the cost.
From his education he learned how to get the things he wanted in his life. When faced with simple or difficult choices, he had one rule. He asked himself, "Is it right?"
The decision to use or not use drugs and alcohol is only one of the choices facing all of us today. No matter what the choices may be, we might all fare better if we stop to consider, "Is it right?"