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FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
The most dangerous, intoxicating drug can't be
peddled on the street or prescribed by a doctor.
Not even close! It's not manufactured in a meth
lab, grown illegally in a jungle or scientifically
mass-produced in the sanitary confines of a
pharmaceutical corporation.
It provides instant courage, can scare the hell out
of you and can push athletes to produce super-human feats.
It can make you tingle, make you numb,
make you aggressive or it can make you dumb.
Better yet, it can do all of these at the same time.
If it were for sale, some would buy it by the
quart, others by the gallon. Hey, some would
stockpile 55-gallon drums if they could! As far as I
know, it's colorless, odorless and tasteless, but that
doesn't seem to matter to the junkies who crave it.
It raises your heartbeat, gives you the sweats and
has even been known to cause some to vomit. It's
usually not painful, although it can lead to pain
and, God forbid, even death. You can't cure it and
it's not contagious. You can't get vaccinated for it,
and no one in their right (or wrong) mind would
want to.
It stimulates both the mind and body in both the
young and the old. It favors teenagers and young
adults, but it doesn't necessarily go away with age.
(How sweet!)
It can happen any time, anywhere. It doesn't
matter if you are on the freeway, on the racetrack,
in your bedroom, on land, in the air or on water-
no place escapes its power. I'm addicted to it,
you're addicted to it, even your parents need to get
some of it. Everyone loves it, with the possible
exception of the government, which hasn't quite figured out
how to tax or regulate it. But I'm sure the G-men will
eventually find a way!
Some feel it in their heart, some in their stomach and
others in their throat. During an overdose, it has even been
known to affect the entire body. It leaves no needle marks,
but it can leave battle scars. It can be felt in both victory and
defeat, with friends and enemies. It can make the weak
strong, and the strong weak. It can happen instantaneously,
or over a period of time. Some dosages are higher than others,
but the exact dosage isn't totally in your control. It can
save your life or end it, the choice is not always, but usually,
up to you.
So what is it? It is created in teeny, tiny quantities deep
inside the most complex machine known to mankind--your body.
It's an all-natural elixir that produces the ultimate
high. You and I call it adrenaline, and it's arguably the most
powerful stimulant known to man (and woman too). Most
important, it's why we extreme sports junkies do what we
do! My advice: Make the most of it, and enjoy every second
you can possibly get.
Ken Faught
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