What sets the good apart from the bad? How do we come to decide what matters in life and where we are headed? I’m a seventeen year old girl who lives in a southern state. I’m not trying to be stereotypical or to sector myself or other people like me out. However, the deck is considerably stacked against me. The decisions I make from here on, they will forever affect me. Sometimes it’s hard for adults or even people my own age to understand me. Why is that you ask? I live by a set of moral rules and tend to reject the social standards of normalcy. Let me introduce you to me as quickly as I can, then I’ll explain why I am the person I am and why I’ve chosen to be this way. My name is Lydia and I’m from West Virginia. I grew up in a family that believed in God and hardly went to church. My dad works almost every day for a living. People here are almost exactly as you would picture kind Southern people to be. What makes me different from the rest of the general population? I listen to music from decades and decades ago. It’s not uncommon for me to listen to Creedance Clearwater Revival and then shift to Elvis Presley or The Cult. Music is a key part of my everyday life. I’ve been singing choral music since the fifth grade and take it seriously. Here’s another tidbit for you to chew on: I’m a writer and photographer. I guess that makes me just like everyone else. I mean here I am, trying to write about how I’m different and I bet I sound like all the rest of the bohemians out there. I’m also a bit of a nerd. I read Ernest Hemingway books like most teenage girls read text messages. I’ve been an honor student for awhile now. I will say that the subject of math eludes me continually though. I’m involved in many extracurricular things too. I just participated in a state Beta convention and placed second in two contests. I’m also a part of an organization that exists solely to tell high school kids the dangers of tobacco use. I’m busy almost all the time with school and life in general. Now let me tell you what makes me the ultimate odd ball. I love professional wrestling, horror movies, food, film and pin ups. Yes I said pin ups. Some of the strangest things around are the things I find interesting. I’m also a Christian. Now don’t stop reading and tell yourself I’m trying to convert you or something like that. I’m not. I have a tendency to say “dirty” words and I support gay rights. My relationship with God is just that, mine. What I believe shouldn’t change what you do. What you chose to do with your life is up to you, not me. I think I’ve managed to give you an idea of me. Now let me tell you about this thing in my life called: straight edge. Thanks to a band called Minor Threat this movement made waves years before I was ever born. Straight edge isn’t entirely about rebelling and it isn’t entirely about rejecting drugs. If you ask me, straight edge is something real people chose. That might not make sense just yet, but I’ll iron it out I promise. The reason I chose to follow through with straight edge was my family. I have members in my family that have been under house arrest for DUIs and last November my great uncle died after a few months of nonstop drinking. My mom and dad were smokers. If you’ve ever had to smell cigarette smoke for more than five minutes, you’ll feel my pain here. I watched my mother smoke packs (not one but several) everyday. Movies and books have always portrayed drinkers as bad people, so I think unconsciously I always knew it was a bad idea. I mentioned the professional wrestling thing earlier, that’s a part of this story too. There’s a wrestler named CM Punk who is straight edge and when he signed with the WWE in 2005, I discovered a hero. I idolized him then and have mad respect for him now. He basically came out and gave me a name for all these feelings I had felt. It was after that, that I did my research on straight edge. I’ve read almost every article I can find on it and what not. Now that I’m practically an adult, the reasons for doing this… they’ve more than doubled. When I started high school, I had a friend who was deep into drugs. I saw her go through stages of doing speed and just casually smoking marijuana. I saw her at the worst moments of her life. People, who have never seen someone almost overdose on speed, won’t understand how scary that is. I was afraid that before we ever graduated, I would have to attend her funeral. I go to school with kids who live through that every day. My heart hurts for them, but I know it’s their choice. I chose to turn away from it while they cuddled with it. Another huge thing in my life is my kidneys. My father has kidney problems and I can’t count how many kidney stones I’ve passed. In the next few months, I’ll have to have a few tests run on my kids to see if I’m a match to my dad. Not only that, but I want to make sure they’re functioning right. If I am a match to my dad, that means somewhere down the road if he were to get sick (I pray he never does) I will go under the knife and give him one of my own organs. What does this have to do with being edge? This means that by taking the best care possible of my body, I’m not just affecting myself. I’m not just doing this for my own health anymore. Keeping my body clean of poison is more important than ever. So when people ask me why I’m edge, it brings up a few emotions. Everything I’ve just stated is why it’s so hard to explain it. I’m proud to say I’m edge. It’s one of the best things I’ll ever do in life. The next time you see me (if ever) don’t be fooled by my Motley Crue shirt or knee high combat boots. My hair might be black and I might be talking about Vincent Price, but I’m not a bad guy. My heart is in a great place literally! I’m a sweetheart once you get to know me. I give the best advice around here and I’m wicked well at listening. This is me. This is Lydia and I am straight edge.