So, at age 17, convinced that the church didn't believe in God, I struck out on my own. Now, though I never denied Christ and still believed in Him, He faded into the background of my life while cigarettes, booze, drugs and sex took center stage. I pursued them as strongly as I had pursued church before. I remember being lectured one night by my father, frustrated with the latest turn-around in my life. The years he opposed my church-going had convinced me it was futile to speak when he was in lecture mode so I just glared back and gave him the obligatory one-word answer to his questions. While he was lecturing me, I remember thinking, "I don't know what you're so upset about, all I'm doing is the same things you do...smoke, drunk and obsess on sex. Besides, weren't you the one who didn't want me at church?" Of course, between church and Dad, I had learned not to say what I thought...so I just stared.

Something happened at high school that had never happened at church...I was accepted. Unfortunately, I was accepted by all the wrong kids. I looked and acted like the boy most parents dreamed of having their daughter date...you get real good at hypocrisy after a few years in the right churches. I could keep a conversation with them, was conservatively dressed, short hair in the long-hair 60's and 70's.
When we got away from the house, I wanted only one thing and emotionally hurt several good girls trying to pressure them. One real nice girl I pressured too much broke up with me and took up with another boy...four years later she was on the billboard of a strip bar. At the time, I thought she would have done better with me. Now, I realize, I was a major contributor to where she ended up. God forgive me!

During the same time I was honing my sex addiction, I became addicted to alcohol and drugs...then I graduated and entered the world...whoopee!

What kind of kid were you in High School? Were you like me or did you have to defend yourself against kids like me?