THE MAGICAL MESS VISITS . . . A POT STORE
In another adventure that defies the magical messes course of life, I recently ventured out of my comfort field.
The story goes like this: the best friend and I were having breakfast and found ourselves discussing the predicament of another dear friend. This friend has been used and abused by the prescription merry-go-round that is so prevalent these days. Pain medication, nerve medication, anti stress medication, you name it they have it in their cabinet. It’s a swirling vortex of bad medicine and then add in a little alcohol and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
The dear friend does not want to be on this concoction but has pain that is undeniable and can only get relief through mixing and matching the pills mentioned above.
Chronic pain is a debilitating disease and modern medicine seems to rely heavily on the patient being medicated at all times.
“What can we do to help?” The best friend and I pondered and considered and exchanged wild options and finally came to . . . pot, marijuana, weed, whatever you may call it. Our thought process went like this; yes, pot is a recreational drug but can be used for pain control. Yes, it’s not ideal. No, we don’t want the dear friend addicted to yet another substance. But, and this is a big but, didn’t we want to do something to help out our dear friend, no matter how out of character this next step was going to be for us?
And this is where we jumped ship and entered a pot shop. Green Leaf to be exact. We live in Oregon, the Beaver State, lush and green from our mountains to our beaches. Oregon, where pot is legal and we now have a different kind of green.
When you enter the vestibule you are asked to show your picture ID. They put it through a scanner. In my absolute amazement that I was even in this place, I forgot to ask where that information goes. Am I now registered with the government as a user; does it put me on their Christmas mailing list; did I just join a club? I still don’t know what that scan may have gotten me into, but on with the tour.
After scanning our ID, the proprietor asked us to step up to a hidden door, which automatically unlatched, and we entered the actual store. The thoughts swirling through my head at that time was , “”This is what I always pictured a 1920’s Speak Easy to be like.” Except you don’t have to give the secret word in order to pass through the portal.
Once inside, however, it was like a jewelry store. Glass cases lined the walls with glass shelving behind them, displaying all manner of weed in various forms. Edibles that come in the shape of gummy candy, liquids that come in small bottles that resemble the little shots of energy drink; flowers, (I never figured this one out); and oils (that you eat? or use as a massage cream? or what?) There were rows and rows of glass canisters filled with the dried substance. I was just bowled over by the sheer expanse of options one has inside these walls.
We made our choices based on the expert advice of the proprietor, who took into consideration our friend’s pain, social anxiety and need to function in life.
And that’s how the magical mess and the best friend found themselves purchasing pot, legally, in Portland. What, I ask you, has happened to our lives? We’ve now visited a prison and bought pot, two things we never expected to do in our life time. Again, how do two Christian women find themselves in these predicaments?
I only want to be a good friend and help in any way. Thankfully, I have a best friend who feels the same. So, on we’ll go, helping where we can and defying conventional wisdom, being guided by God and leading with our hearts. I know the Lord can see our good intentions, even if our friends and family are flummoxed by our actions. We will continue leaving gentle chaos in our wake hoping to make a difference.
For those of you who never expect to find themselves inside a pot store, I hope this adds a little info to your day. And be careful what you plan; life usually throws a curve ball into our very existence. It’s our job to catch it and throw it towards home base.
magicalmess 