Experience

How often have you heard the phrase, “You have to try this!”? 

I finally watched A Beautiful Boy and throughout the film, this phrase replayed itself in my head.  

I have heard this phrase used in many contexts.  Like, when I am at a restaurant and my sisters tell me, “you have to try this!” about some entree the restaurant is known for.  Or, when I am at a local coffee shop and my friend insists I have to try their latte with oat milk.  Apparently, it is a game changer from the classic almond milk I always reach for.  

These contexts are innocent and fun.  I 100% would try that fancy lobster roll, or that latte with milk made out of something I used to loathe. 

However, this phrase gets tricky when it is applied to experiences where one’s life can be at risk, specifically cases involving alcohol and drugs.  

I have spent multiple hours taking in various films, shows, even podcasts that tell others’ stories of trying such substances because of wanting the experience. 

I once even had a friend be bewildered by the fact I was in college and have not smoked pot. He said, “you have to try it! You’re in college!” I bewilderingly looked at him and even felt ashamed for a second.  I thought, “wow, maybe he is right…maybe I am missing something.”  

However, after further consideration, I thought, “am I?” 

As a watched Timothee Chalamet’s character facing relapses, begging his father, played by Steve Carell, to still see that he is the same son he raised, I realized some experiences are best left untouched.  

This is because I might be that one person out of a million that gets addicted to substances and I am not ready to “try” something just to experience a moment of euphoria.  

Why? 

Well, in the words of David Sheff, the original author of Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction – “It is at once sublime and terrifying.”