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Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

gavinray97.github.io

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Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#201

Post by user_7832 »

user_7832 wrote: post #195
mapassthebeans wrote: post #148

Had similarly unorthodox path to tech, albeit without the drug addiction or prison. 90s early internet/BBS punk rocker/computer nerd. Hated school angry. Dropped out to work as a bike messenger for 5 years before packing a bag and moving west randomly. Couldn't sit still. Rode freight trains around the country for a few months. Washed dishes and landscaped to cover my cheap rent till that fell thru. Discovered shop l…

So... going by the story, I guess you never did go to the doctor to get diagnosed for adhd? (Yeah, armchair doctor and all that. But doesn't make it wrong or at least worth a look.)

And to whoever downvoted me, I've successfully "diagnosed" (read - identified) multiple friends already. NDs often have decent ND-radars.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#202

Post by qmr »

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #166
embedding-shape wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I've seen what happens when pedestrians get hit by a car going way too fast, it sucks, and is horrible, but also besides the point. Not to say one has worse/better accidents, motorcycles accidents obviously has a much higher fatality and serious injuries risk, hard to deny.

>but also besides the point. Hard disagree. Both pedestrians and motorcyclists are raw to the elements , entirely. At least when on roadways an automobile provides a chassis/rollcage.

When vulnerable road users are killed in other countries there is strict liability. That is, the driver is assumed at fault unless proven otherwise.

In America it's the perfect crime.

"I'm so sorry officer I never saw them."

Case closed Lou.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#203

Post by stevepotter »

phs318u wrote: post #124
Waterluvian wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Closest feeling you can get to flying I’d say this is a strong case against getting one for anyone who has struggled with addiction. In my experience a part of the constant battle is a difficult relationship with sources of stimulation.

I’ll second this. Back in the 90s when my addict brain was in full flight, I had a street bike for a year. There was not a single ride when I didn’t massively exceed the speed limit and ride recklessly. I loved it! Lucky to be alive. Lucky I had a partner who convinced me to sell it after our first child was born. Having said all that and despite being in recovery for many years... I still lust after the feeling of c…

Same. I got spooked after a car pulled out on the country highway I was doing 160 on. Then ran out of money and sold it. I just rode my Dads Harley, first ride in 20 years. Was nice but I’m good. I have a longboard and a little hill once in a while gives me the occasional adrenaline rush I crave.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#204

Post by stringfood »

zuzululu wrote: post #49
stringfood wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By your own logic the man you 'commend' for turning his life around would be dead at 19 - every good thing he's done since, including the post you're replying to, exists only because nobody took your advice.

No, you are projecting your own opinion here. I've commended him for turning away from his wrong path while condemning him for his actions individually that have destroyed lives through the same exact suffering he experienced. I offered no advice.

The worldwide death penalty you're endorsing still kills him at 19, so you're commending a redemption your own proposal would have prevented.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#205

Post by decimalenough »

estearum wrote: post #139
whartung wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd much rather be on a freeway at 60+ MPH surrounded by 2.5 ton vehicles with poor visibility than riding an urban street. New riders are rightly intimidated by the freeways (they're fast, they're big), but they're far, far safer than the street with all of the starting, stopping, hard corners, folks turning onto the street, and, of course, the king of bike slayers, the "I didn't see them" left turn. Not to mention…

You're describing American cities, while GP (to whom I was responding) was clearly describing the huge number of foreign cities (e.g. SE Asia) where motorcycles are the dominant form of urban transit. The relevant factor is that a street where motorcycles, cycles, pedestrians, and small/slow cars are dominant – all of which move at generally slow speeds – is of far, far, far less danger than a street (freeway or not)…

I lived in Bangkok and saw 4 motorcycle accidents or their immediate aftermath. Even in perpetually jammed third world megacity traffic, the motorcyclist always loses to the other vehicle, in several of those cases almost certainly fatally.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#206

Post by Aurornis »

muragekibicho wrote: post #59

Extreme mental clarity in "Eventually, she told me that it made more sense for me to quit my job while she worked, so that I could spend all of my free time trying to get another tech job". I could've never imagined long-term-thinking like this from a former addict.

> I could've never imagined long-term-thinking like this from a former addict.

I know a couple people who recovered from addiction (and lost a few who sadly couldn’t).

They’re just people from all walks of life. There are a lot of stereotypes about addicts, but drug addiction can hit anyone. The first few people I knew who became addicts were actually from good families, were educated, had good career prospects, and were happy people. They thought addiction didn’t apply to them because they were too smart or happy or wealthy. In my opinion, those stereotypes made them more vulnerable to letting their guard down and thinking they were going to use the drugs smartly.

Most of them are recovered now and back on track, minus a large chunk of their younger years and a trail of destroyed relationships and wasted opportunities. You wouldn’t peg them as former addicts, though. They’re just people.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#207

Post by Vaslo »

As a libertarian right leaning guy I opened your story with pessimism but I really enjoyed it and greatly appreciated the personal responsibility you took in your situation. People should be inspired by this - it’s precisely because of personal responsibility that you are so successful.

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#208

Post by fc417fc802 »

throwaway89864 wrote: post #177
mapassthebeans wrote: post #148

Had similarly unorthodox path to tech, albeit without the drug addiction or prison. 90s early internet/BBS punk rocker/computer nerd. Hated school angry. Dropped out to work as a bike messenger for 5 years before packing a bag and moving west randomly. Couldn't sit still. Rode freight trains around the country for a few months. Washed dishes and landscaped to cover my cheap rent till that fell thru. Discovered shop l…

Was there any bullying at school that kept you away from it? Or boredom? Or just culture ? Grade schools seem all right in the US. Ridiculous amounts of activities/sports right there, teachers are well paid (compared to the rest of the world), the program difficulty seem pretty chill for any kid that learned to read early enough.

> Grade schools seem all right in the US.

My experience (and impression of others) is that sure, it's incredibly good by certain very basic metrics but that doesn't mean all participants find it desirable or even tolerable. I slogged through it for no reason other than that's just what was expected and I didn't see any realistic alternative but in retrospect I think I would have been better off dropping out and attending a community college (of course I could be wildly wrong about that).

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#209

Post by forkit »

Is programming underrated art form when it comes to helping people come out of such situations? Addiction or depression.

It easier to get paid, you can be in a flow state for hours. Enough to forget about other addictions. and less likely to be high always while programming

Re: Building from zero after addiction, prison, and a felony

#210

Post by squibonpig »

Aeolun wrote: post #153

I feel like US is ridiculously hard on even low grade drugs. Half of my high school would have gone to prison in the US. Sending a 14 year old convicted of drug crimes anywhere but a location that will help them is bizarre. Sending them to a max security anything leaves me speechless.

Yeah I feel like there's less discussion than I expected of how many different things had to be done utterly ass backwards wrong by society for this guy to have his downward spiral in the first place.
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