During this time, my mother and I learned a lot about our relationship. Not only was I abusing drugs, but I was also stealing and lying to her. Shortly before Cumberland Heights, she figured out that I withdrew $2,000 from her account. Law enforcement suggested filing charges against me, which she seriously considered. No charges were brought upon me but a 60-day stint in jail, courtesy of my mother, proved her point. These were topics talked about out loud during family week amongst all of the other participants. Learning about everyone else’s struggles with addiction helped shape my thinking for the rest of my stay at Cumberland Heights.
With no wetsuit, Nelson completed the swim against 12 mph winds, an incoming tide and 66 F ocean water with a total time of seven hours and four minutes. Wetsuits not only serve as a tool to warm the body in cold water temperatures, but also add a small amount of buoyancy which can greatly assist in open water swimming. All of these factors on top of the great distance Nelson covered in the water is hard to fathom, but Nelson simply said, “A recon Marine would rather die than quit.”
This episode is a seminal one in the season, maybe even the series, that takes us on a chaotic ride that strengthens the importance for Rue to get clean. It may be hard to love Rue at this point, but this installment emphasizes the importance of hope and care in bleak circumstances.
The rest of the US needs to follow in Oregon’s progressive footsteps in order to benefit the wellbeing of our nation. The national decriminalization of drugs would reduce mass incarceration and institutionalized racism. On a national level, this change would be a monumental step towards equality and autonomy for all.
On March 20, 2019 at 6:30 p.m., a social justice symposium entitled “The Opioid Epidemic: What Do We Know and Where Do We Go?” was held at Cameron Hall. The symposium, sponsored by UNC Wilmington’s...
Editor’s Note: Veronica Wernicke is a freshman at UNCW majoring in Communication Studies and is the assistant opinion editor for The Seahawk. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of...
Editor’s Note: Veronica Wernicke is a freshman at UNCW majoring in Communication Studies and is a staff writer for The Seahawk. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author....
