Tokin’

The Gay Uncle spoke with an old friend recently who, in the intervening time since they’d last conversed, had gotten herself married and had a child. Said baby is now an adorable two year old with whom mom spends a good deal of time while holding down a full time academic job. Talking as she was to the G.U., the conversation turned quite quickly to recreational activities (drinking, gunplay, porn), and mommy-friend said she hadn’t been doing much of this. “Right,” Gunc said, “because it’s the summer. You’re not teaching and you’re home with your son full-time.” His friend shook her head. “No. It’s not that. I find that drinking just puts me to sleep. Actually,” she paused, as if working up the nerve, “I think that taking a little puff of something often helps me to focus on my son, and not to sweat some of the small stuff he does, to let it go. I feel like I’m a better parent when I’m just a little high.” The Gay Uncle nodded like he understood. And in many ways, he did. He often finds himself to be more agreeable with his B.F. when he’s smoked up, less likely to be his usual combative self. And he knows that interactions with his nieces (and everyone else) on family trips can certainly be lubricated by an afternoon beer or Bloody Mary, or a half a Percoset and a Vodka/soda at cocktail time, so it’s not like he doesn’t get the lure of being altered when interacting with a group of those closest to you. He’s aware that plenty of mommies raised “healthy” kids on daily doses of Valium. And he’s certainly well-versed in the idea that a host of experiences–watching a bad movie, having sex, reading the New York Review of Books–can be made much more interesting when one has their weed on. But it still seemed a bit…off to him to think that this would make one a better parent. Being high makes him feel at once focused and forgetful. He loses track of time. He misinterprets actions and signals. He doesn’t take control of power tools of vehicles under the influence, and those are inanimate and respond directly to his actions, so the idea of solely supervising a kid in this state makes him nervous. He’s hardly one to pass judgment (ahem). So…YOU do it. What do you think? Bong-hit parenting: yea, or nay. And why? Have at it in COMMENTS.