i used to be straight edge.

people always ask if i'm going to be straight edge forever. i guess i can't answer that. and i think thats okay. but i do know that i dont care about drinking a glass of wine at my wedding. so stop asking. IUTBSE is here for you to tell your story to anyone who wants to hear it.

if you want your story to be heard, send it , along with a picture of yourself, to iusedtobestraightedge@gmail.com

despite what it may seem, this site is not only for people who USED to be straight edge. its for anyone who has ever had something positive to say about the lifestyle.



-IUTBSE

Apr 8th, 2009 @ 4:22 pm

Todd Gimian . MMA Fighter Straight Edge is one of the two things that saved my life.  I got heavy into drugs at a young age, and by 12 was dealing and using coke.  By 15, I realized that all my friends were in jail, and I wasn’t far behind it.  I made the choice to quit everything and never look back.  Since that time, I have watched many of my straight edge friends break edge for various reasons, while some others are still drug free.  I fully believe that you should do what makes you happy as long as you don’t force your beliefs upon other people.  This is the lifestyle that is right for me, and I know it isn’t for everyone.  Being edge has definitely helped me focus in my training for Mixed Martial Arts, and has helped me to realize a lot about myself.  I’ll never go back to my old ways, and will remain true until the day I die.One thing I would like to note after reading some of the stories on this blog:  You don’t get to try again if you break edge.  If you sell out, that’s it.  You may be drug free, may not do anything anymore, but you only have one shot at being Straight Edge, the end.

Todd Gimian . MMA Fighter

Straight Edge is one of the two things that saved my life.  I got heavy into drugs at a young age, and by 12 was dealing and using coke.  By 15, I realized that all my friends were in jail, and I wasn’t far behind it.  I made the choice to quit everything and never look back.  Since that time, I have watched many of my straight edge friends break edge for various reasons, while some others are still drug free.  I fully believe that you should do what makes you happy as long as you don’t force your beliefs upon other people.  This is the lifestyle that is right for me, and I know it isn’t for everyone.  Being edge has definitely helped me focus in my training for Mixed Martial Arts, and has helped me to realize a lot about myself.  I’ll never go back to my old ways, and will remain true until the day I die.

One thing I would like to note after reading some of the stories on this blog:  You don’t get to try again if you break edge.  If you sell out, that’s it.  You may be drug free, may not do anything anymore, but you only have one shot at being Straight Edge, the end.

@ 3:47 pm

Chris Jervis . Portrayal of Vengeance I am Vegan Straightedge. I have been straightedge since the age of 16 and vegan since not too long after and I grew up in the suburbs where recreational drug and alcohol use was a weekly occurrence. Week-in-week-out hoards of kids were mindlessly compromising their health and their relationships with friends with family in the interest of few hours of fun and like most naive kids, I followed suit with out paying any thought to the consequences.I had been into hardcore for a few years at that point but around this time some of the lyrics of the bands I was listening to really started to effect my way of thinking. They started to open my eyes to some of the realities that go along with this kind of lifestyle.I began to become more and more alienated by the actions of some of my peers. At the same time I was making more friends in the hardcore scene in my city. To be surrounded by like-minded people with similar ideas was such a breath of fresh air to me. Bands like Earth Crisis, Strife, Onekingdown, Liar and Another Victim influenced my decision to separate myself from a mindless life of intoxication and label myself straight edge for life. Today too many of my friends and peers from back then have battled heroin and alcohol addiction, become alienated from their families or suffered other health and social problems from years of using drugs and alcohol.What was fun to us back then became their way of life for them. A crutch that they could not fathom an existence without.I can’t help but feel if they could have felt the energy and positivity that I felt in those formative years that maybe they would have experienced some of the fantastic things I have been able to in my life.Without the clarity that straightedge has given me I doubt I would have met some of the amazing people I know, traveled to some of the amazing places i’ve been and seen the amazing things i’ve seen and done.Straight Edge is the oath that separates me from the strife and self-destruction that plague the masses in our society. Straight Edge to me is more than a lifestyle. It is a vehicle for change. To it I will be forever true.

Chris Jervis . Portrayal of Vengeance


I am Vegan Straightedge. 
I have been straightedge since the age of 16 and vegan since not too long after and I grew up in the suburbs where recreational drug and alcohol use was a weekly occurrence. 
Week-in-week-out hoards of kids were mindlessly compromising their health and their relationships with friends with family in the interest of few hours of fun and like most naive kids, I followed suit with out paying any thought to the consequences.
I had been into hardcore for a few years at that point but around this time some of the lyrics of the bands I was listening to really started to effect my way of thinking. They started to open my eyes to some of the realities that go along with this kind of lifestyle.
I began to become more and more alienated by the actions of some of my peers. At the same time I was making more friends in the hardcore scene in my city. To be surrounded by like-minded people with similar ideas was such a breath of fresh air to me. 
Bands like Earth Crisis, Strife, Onekingdown, Liar and Another Victim influenced my decision to separate myself from a mindless life of intoxication and label myself straight edge for life. 
Today too many of my friends and peers from back then have battled heroin and alcohol addiction, become alienated from their families or suffered other health and social problems from years of using drugs and alcohol.
What was fun to us back then became their way of life for them. A crutch that they could not fathom an existence without.
I can’t help but feel if they could have felt the energy and positivity that I felt in those formative years that maybe they would have experienced some of the fantastic things I have been able to in my life.
Without the clarity that straightedge has given me I doubt I would have met some of the amazing people I know, traveled to some of the amazing places i’ve been and seen the amazing things i’ve seen and done.
Straight Edge is the oath that separates me from the strife and self-destruction that plague the masses in our society. 
Straight Edge to me is more than a lifestyle. It is a vehicle for change. 
To it I will be forever true.

@ 3:48 am

Alan Day . Four Year Strong i’ve been straight edge for 8 years now. i started early. im straight edge because one of my best friends older brother was straight edge. its a similar story for everyone i feel like. you do it for whatever reason - friends, music (which was also a huge part for me) - and then through time you figure out if its actually for you or not. for me it is. even when i was young i didnt have much desire to drink or do drugs, i think i just tried it because i thought it was cool/thought i had to in order to fit in. who knows. but when i found out about straight edge through teddy petsas (the original singer of fys), i finally found what was right for me. in these 8 years, some of my friends were straight edge. actually, a lot of them were at one point. teddy and his little brother ardie, who is one of my best friends, were the first to break. it was weird at first, the people that help make you who you are. changing. it felt at the time like we grew apart. unfortunately, i think for some other reasons, we did. but after all these years, with pretty much all of my friends (with a few exceptions) breaking edge, i realize that - that isnt what should keep us together. it was something that definitely bonded us together, set us apart from the rest, but it should not by any means tear us apart. i love my friends. the ones that are straight edge, the ones that WERE straight edge, and the ones that never were. straight edge isn’t who i am, but it is a HUGE part of what makes me me. i make my choices for my own reasons, and i respect anyone that does the same. i dont smoke, i dont drink, i dont have promiscuous sex, i dont drink caffeine, and i dont pressure anyone to do the same. and then theres music. friends turned me on to straight edge, but music is what kept me going. and i listen to some pretty good music. you should do the same. listen to what they have to say. you might hear something that could change the way you live your life forever. or maybe just for a few years. either way. keep an open mind. i could go on forever. so i will stop……..now

Alan Day . Four Year Strong

i’ve been straight edge for 8 years now. i started early. im straight edge because one of my best friends older brother was straight edge. its a similar story for everyone i feel like. you do it for whatever reason - friends, music (which was also a huge part for me) - and then through time you figure out if its actually for you or not. for me it is. even when i was young i didnt have much desire to drink or do drugs, i think i just tried it because i thought it was cool/thought i had to in order to fit in. who knows. but when i found out about straight edge through teddy petsas (the original singer of fys), i finally found what was right for me. in these 8 years, some of my friends were straight edge. actually, a lot of them were at one point. teddy and his little brother ardie, who is one of my best friends, were the first to break. it was weird at first, the people that help make you who you are. changing. it felt at the time like we grew apart. unfortunately, i think for some other reasons, we did. but after all these years, with pretty much all of my friends (with a few exceptions) breaking edge, i realize that - that isnt what should keep us together. it was something that definitely bonded us together, set us apart from the rest, but it should not by any means tear us apart. i love my friends. the ones that are straight edge, the ones that WERE straight edge, and the ones that never were. straight edge isn’t who i am, but it is a HUGE part of what makes me me. i make my choices for my own reasons, and i respect anyone that does the same. i dont smoke, i dont drink, i dont have promiscuous sex, i dont drink caffeine, and i dont pressure anyone to do the same. and then theres music. friends turned me on to straight edge, but music is what kept me going. and i listen to some pretty good music. you should do the same. listen to what they have to say. you might hear something that could change the way you live your life forever. or maybe just for a few years. either way. keep an open mind. i could go on forever. so i will stop……..now

Apr 5th, 2009 @ 4:07 pm

Daniel Bressette . Art & Music Maker [Sleeping In [Clothing] The title “Straight Edge” first entered my ears at the beginning of freshman year in high school. Roughly around the same time I started regularly going to shows (due to having friends with CARS). One of my friends mentioned it when we were walking between classes. I don’t know WHERE he had heard it, as he definitely wasn’t the type to listen to punk or hardcore music, and definitely not an advocate for any sort of “clean” lifestyle. He asked me if I was, and of course i had no idea what it meant, so I asked him. He told me it was when you “Don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs” - Something to that effect (the same simple definition i’ve given to the classmates, co-workers, and friends who have asked over the past 8-ish years). I didn’t do any of those things, so I basically adopted an “I guess so” attitude for awhile. Soon enough i started going to shows. I’d listened to punk rock since I was much younger, but I hadn’t really ventured into the hardcore side of it until around this time. I saw a band play at a local (and now defunct) venue in atlanta, and one of the guitarists had his hands x’ed up with pretty much the most bold x’s humanly possible. I knew these weren’t marks to show his admission, so i asked him after the show what they meant. I liked the thought of being “poison-free” as proactive and not just abstaining from something (to borrow a sentiment from warren of against me!), so it didn’t take me long to truly “claim edge”. The rest is history. I try not to be a “trend follower”, so the few years when it seemed like all my friends were straight edge were a tad bit weird. Since then, almost every single one of my straight edge friends has either broken edge or stopped claiming. When i was younger, it was a bit more strange having someone turn from what they had formerly stood up for, but the more it happened, the more I grew used to it, and eventually (maybe even cynically?), came to expect it. In Atlanta, there is a definite division between scenes. For example, the indie, hardcore, punk, metal and other scenes are distinctly different and are usually made up of different kids. There isn’t much mixing of the genres. My interest in all kinds of music led me to spread out to different scenes and helped me make friends in places outside of hardcore, where straight edge is usually either mocked, or isn’t very significant. To this day, I can count on about one hand how many good friends I have who are straight edge. We all respect each other though, and that’s what matters. All too often, i see kids with an almost religious-like attitude towards it. I cannot stress enough how much these are just personal choices. Along that line, I would never encourage anyone to claim edge just to fit in, and DEFINITELY not stay edge just because they are afraid of what other people will say. If you hang out with the kind of people who will change their view of you based on things as trivial as that, you are with the wrong crowd. All I ask is for people to use their minds and follow their hearts. Be yourself, and not some pre-defined stereotype and your life will be much better! This was way too long. MY B.

Daniel Bressette . Art & Music Maker [Sleeping In [Clothing]

The title “Straight Edge” first entered my ears at the beginning of freshman year in high school. Roughly around the same time I started regularly going to shows (due to having friends with CARS). One of my friends mentioned it when we were walking between classes. I don’t know WHERE he had heard it, as he definitely wasn’t the type to listen to punk or hardcore music, and definitely not an advocate for any sort of “clean” lifestyle. He asked me if I was, and of course i had no idea what it meant, so I asked him. He told me it was when you “Don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs” - Something to that effect (the same simple definition i’ve given to the classmates, co-workers, and friends who have asked over the past 8-ish years). I didn’t do any of those things, so I basically adopted an “I guess so” attitude for awhile. Soon enough i started going to shows. I’d listened to punk rock since I was much younger, but I hadn’t really ventured into the hardcore side of it until around this time. I saw a band play at a local (and now defunct) venue in atlanta, and one of the guitarists had his hands x’ed up with pretty much the most bold x’s humanly possible. I knew these weren’t marks to show his admission, so i asked him after the show what they meant. I liked the thought of being “poison-free” as proactive and not just abstaining from something (to borrow a sentiment from warren of against me!), so it didn’t take me long to truly “claim edge”. The rest is history. I try not to be a “trend follower”, so the few years when it seemed like all my friends were straight edge were a tad bit weird. Since then, almost every single one of my straight edge friends has either broken edge or stopped claiming. When i was younger, it was a bit more strange having someone turn from what they had formerly stood up for, but the more it happened, the more I grew used to it, and eventually (maybe even cynically?), came to expect it. In Atlanta, there is a definite division between scenes. For example, the indie, hardcore, punk, metal and other scenes are distinctly different and are usually made up of different kids. There isn’t much mixing of the genres. My interest in all kinds of music led me to spread out to different scenes and helped me make friends in places outside of hardcore, where straight edge is usually either mocked, or isn’t very significant. To this day, I can count on about one hand how many good friends I have who are straight edge. We all respect each other though, and that’s what matters. All too often, i see kids with an almost religious-like attitude towards it. I cannot stress enough how much these are just personal choices. Along that line, I would never encourage anyone to claim edge just to fit in, and DEFINITELY not stay edge just because they are afraid of what other people will say. If you hang out with the kind of people who will change their view of you based on things as trivial as that, you are with the wrong crowd. All I ask is for people to use their minds and follow their hearts. Be yourself, and not some pre-defined stereotype and your life will be much better! This was way too long. MY B.

Apr 1st, 2009 @ 12:09 am

Shaun Connolly . Comedian  Let me tell you I used to be straight edge.Let me also tell you I do not regret those 9 years.Let me also tell you I’m an actor and a comedian.Let me tell you one more thing.I waxed my chest once and the hair won’t stop growing.(That last one has nothing to do with straight edge, but I am writing this with my shirt off and I noticed it, thought I should share.)So I became straight edge when I was in 8th grade. One of my best friends’ brothers told me about Converge and straight edge once at Pizza Works in Worcester, MA on a Friday. That night I put three X’s on my knuckles and the journey began. I was already into bands like Saves The Day, The Stryder and Lifetime. But then kids started playing me American Nightmare, Bane and Suicide File. I was hooked, on the lifestyle, the music and the friends.Most of my friends throughout high school didn’t drink. We didn’t need to. If we were drunk during the STUPID shit we did I think not only would we be caught, but some of us could be dead.I am going to take a big step here, I haven’t been able to admit this to many. Um, OK, I’m ready. I am a streaker. I don’t anymore, I’ve been 2 years clothed now. But, stone cold sober I would streak at every single party and run the risk of getting my ass kicked. I would leave a party and people would try to take my keys from me, thinking I was drunk.So I always felt I never needed to drink. Or poison myself with anything.I liked the camaraderie. I liked being apart of this. It not only felt right, but it felt like it SHOULD be this way.I did, however always sort of feel on the outside. I was involved, in theatre and constantly doing plays. I also was a two sport star in high school, so I rarely got to go to shows. So I missed out there.When I went to college, I never felt pressured. Around the end of my Junior year I started to question why I was straight edge. I didn’t really believe in what I was doing. My whole life I was always just doing things. Never thinking, just doing because honestly in the end I didn’t care. So why care about straight edge. I have a head on my shoulders now. I have a pretty clear understanding of what is wrong and what is right. And straight edge helped with that. So I did what every kid who breaks does, went berzerk, got sick a lot, got shitfaced at a screening of RAMBO, you know the usual.Straight edge is friendship, and loyalty and every other hardcore cliche. And I am happy to be where I am because of all of that. I respect and care about those who are still straight edge. I respect and care about those who really meant it and then broke. Neither of us are the better person, we are just people.I now “hang out with the living dead.” I drink the poison I was denounced. Its funny I still keep some of my edge tendencies, I still don’t take any sort of pill, I stay away from caffeine when I can and I don’t smoke. I will leave you with a joke:        Why did the straight edge kid break?        Because __________________ did.                (insert band here)

Shaun Connolly . Comedian 

Let me tell you I used to be straight edge.
Let me also tell you I do not regret those 9 years.
Let me also tell you I’m an actor and a comedian.
Let me tell you one more thing.
I waxed my chest once and the hair won’t stop growing.
(That last one has nothing to do with straight edge, but I am writing this with my shirt off and I noticed it, thought I should share.)
So I became straight edge when I was in 8th grade. One of my best friends’ brothers told me about Converge and straight edge once at Pizza Works in Worcester, MA on a Friday. That night I put three X’s on my knuckles and the journey began. I was already into bands like Saves The Day, The Stryder and Lifetime. But then kids started playing me American Nightmare, Bane and Suicide File. I was hooked, on the lifestyle, the music and the friends.
Most of my friends throughout high school didn’t drink. We didn’t need to. If we were drunk during the STUPID shit we did I think not only would we be caught, but some of us could be dead.
I am going to take a big step here, I haven’t been able to admit this to many. Um, OK, I’m ready. I am a streaker. I don’t anymore, I’ve been 2 years clothed now. But, stone cold sober I would streak at every single party and run the risk of getting my ass kicked. I would leave a party and people would try to take my keys from me, thinking I was drunk.
So I always felt I never needed to drink. Or poison myself with anything.
I liked the camaraderie. I liked being apart of this. It not only felt right, but it felt like it SHOULD be this way.
I did, however always sort of feel on the outside. I was involved, in theatre and constantly doing plays. I also was a two sport star in high school, so I rarely got to go to shows. So I missed out there.
When I went to college, I never felt pressured. Around the end of my Junior year I started to question why I was straight edge. I didn’t really believe in what I was doing. My whole life I was always just doing things. Never thinking, just doing because honestly in the end I didn’t care. So why care about straight edge. I have a head on my shoulders now. I have a pretty clear understanding of what is wrong and what is right. And straight edge helped with that. So I did what every kid who breaks does, went berzerk, got sick a lot, got shitfaced at a screening of RAMBO, you know the usual.
Straight edge is friendship, and loyalty and every other hardcore cliche. And I am happy to be where I am because of all of that. I respect and care about those who are still straight edge. I respect and care about those who really meant it and then broke. Neither of us are the better person, we are just people.
I now “hang out with the living dead.” I drink the poison I was denounced. Its funny I still keep some of my edge tendencies, I still don’t take any sort of pill, I stay away from caffeine when I can and I don’t smoke. I will leave you with a joke:
        Why did the straight edge kid break?
        Because __________________ did.
                (insert band here)

Mar 27th, 2009 @ 2:26 am

Emily Bell . Amazing Girl I can’t say that I was ever truly straightedge. I can however proudly state that being around people who were have had a large impact on how I live my life and who I’m growing up to be. It wasn’t even something I had heard of until I was in 10th or 11th grade but I was basically already living the lifestyle unknowingly.  At a pretty young age I started horseback riding which quickly consumed my life. I bought a horse who lived in my backyard and with him came big responsibilities - no sleep overs, no late nights and no getting into trouble.  I can’t say that this is what kept me from never drinking or doing drugs etc. because I don’t think I ever saw the desire to in the first place.  I’m sure however, that not being able to because of a responsibility I chose for myself, and not because I wasn’t “allowed to” made it easier in influential times like middle school/ early high school.  Around 9th and 10th grade is when I became really interested in music and going out to shows.   I later met a lot of good friends, many who claimed edge.  It was really refreshing to meet people who lived the same lifestyle as me and could have fun without drinking (which is the only thing people seemed to want to do for fun junior/senior year).  Not wanting to drink or smoke weed was no longer something I had to feel uncool about and it was relieving.  In college I  sort of grew to feel indifferent about alcohol in general.  Since then I’ve had a drink here or there and I also can’t say I haven’t smoked cigars on the roof of my best friends house from time to time but I’ve learned that moderation is key, and still, in no way do I personally feel like I need anything mind-altering to have fun.  I don’t need it and most of the time I don’t want it.

Emily Bell . Amazing Girl

I can’t say that I was ever truly straightedge. I can however proudly state that being around people who were have had a large impact on how I live my life and who I’m growing up to be. It wasn’t even something I had heard of until I was in 10th or 11th grade but I was basically already living the lifestyle unknowingly.  At a pretty young age I started horseback riding which quickly consumed my life. I bought a horse who lived in my backyard and with him came big responsibilities - no sleep overs, no late nights and no getting into trouble.  I can’t say that this is what kept me from never drinking or doing drugs etc. because I don’t think I ever saw the desire to in the first place.  I’m sure however, that not being able to because of a responsibility I chose for myself, and not because I wasn’t “allowed to” made it easier in influential times like middle school/ early high school.  Around 9th and 10th grade is when I became really interested in music and going out to shows.   I later met a lot of good friends, many who claimed edge.  It was really refreshing to meet people who lived the same lifestyle as me and could have fun without drinking (which is the only thing people seemed to want to do for fun junior/senior year).  Not wanting to drink or smoke weed was no longer something I had to feel uncool about and it was relieving.  In college I  sort of grew to feel indifferent about alcohol in general.  Since then I’ve had a drink here or there and I also can’t say I haven’t smoked cigars on the roof of my best friends house from time to time but I’ve learned that moderation is key, and still, in no way do I personally feel like I need anything mind-altering to have fun.  I don’t need it and most of the time I don’t want it.

Mar 26th, 2009 @ 8:10 pm

Mike Toomey . Awesome Dude I found out about straight edge when I was about twelve or thirteen. I remember one of my brother’s old friends came to our house after not being around for a few years and he was a completely different dude. This was around the time I was getting heavily into skateboarding, listening to a lot of Misfits and sneaking Zima’s and cans of Coors Light in the woods with my friends inbetween skate sessions. His hair was all spiked up, he was wearing some tight salvation army t-shirt (you know what I’m talking about), dickies, skateboarding shoes and a necklace he made with three cubes with “s” “x” “e” on them. Besides the “sxe” around his neck, I identified with him totally and I was curious about what “sxe” meant so I asked him about it. He told me it was this “thing” where he didn’t drink or do drugs. Having looked up to this kid, it was definitely something that intrigued me. I remember before he left he gave two cassette tapes. One had the Misfits and Anti-Flag on it and the other one was Catch 22. Somewhat irrelevant to this story, but part of it nonetheless. I didn’t really like the Catch 22 tape..    I more or less forgot about straight edge for the next couple years, but it popped back up again in my freshmen year of high school. Aside from the occasional can of beer, I never had any contact with any drugs or alcohol at all. I met some new friends in high school (some who may even run this site!) and they introduced me to tons of new music. I was on a steady diet of skate punk and they showed me stuff like Saves The Day, The Stryder, Thursday, etc. But also showed me American Nightmare, Bane, Reach The Sky and millions more. That event more or less changed my life and made me the person I am today. However all the new friends I was making were all straight edge. No drinking, no drugs, no promiscuous sex. I will admit that part of my decision to actually “claim” was the life I was starting to live and the really good friends I was making. We all had the same interests besides the straight edge thing and it wasn’t much of a change from the decisions I was making anyway, so it just sort of happened. So many people say “I did it for me, I did it for the right reasons”. Most the time it’s bullshit. You found out about straight edge from somebody and did it because you thought it was cool, or at least a good idea. I found as time went on, that even though some may say I claimed edge, for the “wrong” reasons, it took on a whole new meaning as time went on. I liked being a part of something, it meant more to me than basically anything going on in my life. It kept me clean through an important time, because I know if I had got into drinking or drugs in high school, I would absolutely be a different person today. Who I am today would definitely hate the bizarro me of today, had I started drinking in high school. As high school went on, the edgemen dwindled, and aside from me and two other people, our entire group of friends were drinking by senior year. At first it was a let down, because it was a common theme among all of us for years, but in the end you realize ( in most cases) it has absolutely no bearing on your friendship. Not something that should end or change things between great friends.     However, like a lot kids who are straight edge, I too broke. I physically broke about a month before my 21st birthday, but I broke mentally about eight months before that. All my answers and explanations are cliche, but they’re truthful. I was on tour in the Spring and Summer of 07 from about May to October. I’m not sure what occurred between the travels but when it was all said and done and I got back from two and half months in the U.S. and a month in Europe, I just felt different. A lot of things just didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I guess I was sort of bitten by this travel bug. This idea of like: “I’ll try anything once!” sort of attitude. I got to go and experience all these things and in my head, it just became foolish to renounce something I’ve never experienced (and drinking a can of beer when I was thirteen doesn’t count as experience). So I drank, got drunk and it was pretty awesome. And I will admit, I did the typical edgebreak thing and went crazy for a couple months, had some fantastic drunken nights but even that gets old. Because you ultimately realize there’s no big thing about drinking. It is what it is. And hopefully those of your friends that stay edge ultimately come to that same realization.     I don’t regret being straight edge whatsoever, as it shaped who I am today. But I certainly don’t regret breaking either, as it’s who I am now. Some of my best friends are still edge, and a bunch aren’t, and it’s all good because (and it’s cheesy but) “those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind.”

Mike Toomey . Awesome Dude

I found out about straight edge when I was about twelve or thirteen. I remember one of my brother’s old friends came to our house after not being around for a few years and he was a completely different dude. This was around the time I was getting heavily into skateboarding, listening to a lot of Misfits and sneaking Zima’s and cans of Coors Light in the woods with my friends inbetween skate sessions. His hair was all spiked up, he was wearing some tight salvation army t-shirt (you know what I’m talking about), dickies, skateboarding shoes and a necklace he made with three cubes with “s” “x” “e” on them. Besides the “sxe” around his neck, I identified with him totally and I was curious about what “sxe” meant so I asked him about it. He told me it was this “thing” where he didn’t drink or do drugs. Having looked up to this kid, it was definitely something that intrigued me. I remember before he left he gave two cassette tapes. One had the Misfits and Anti-Flag on it and the other one was Catch 22. Somewhat irrelevant to this story, but part of it nonetheless. I didn’t really like the Catch 22 tape..
    I more or less forgot about straight edge for the next couple years, but it popped back up again in my freshmen year of high school. Aside from the occasional can of beer, I never had any contact with any drugs or alcohol at all. I met some new friends in high school (some who may even run this site!) and they introduced me to tons of new music. I was on a steady diet of skate punk and they showed me stuff like Saves The Day, The Stryder, Thursday, etc. But also showed me American Nightmare, Bane, Reach The Sky and millions more. That event more or less changed my life and made me the person I am today. However all the new friends I was making were all straight edge. No drinking, no drugs, no promiscuous sex. I will admit that part of my decision to actually “claim” was the life I was starting to live and the really good friends I was making. We all had the same interests besides the straight edge thing and it wasn’t much of a change from the decisions I was making anyway, so it just sort of happened. So many people say “I did it for me, I did it for the right reasons”. Most the time it’s bullshit. You found out about straight edge from somebody and did it because you thought it was cool, or at least a good idea. I found as time went on, that even though some may say I claimed edge, for the “wrong” reasons, it took on a whole new meaning as time went on. I liked being a part of something, it meant more to me than basically anything going on in my life. It kept me clean through an important time, because I know if I had got into drinking or drugs in high school, I would absolutely be a different person today. Who I am today would definitely hate the bizarro me of today, had I started drinking in high school. As high school went on, the edgemen dwindled, and aside from me and two other people, our entire group of friends were drinking by senior year. At first it was a let down, because it was a common theme among all of us for years, but in the end you realize ( in most cases) it has absolutely no bearing on your friendship. Not something that should end or change things between great friends. 
    However, like a lot kids who are straight edge, I too broke. I physically broke about a month before my 21st birthday, but I broke mentally about eight months before that. All my answers and explanations are cliche, but they’re truthful. I was on tour in the Spring and Summer of 07 from about May to October. I’m not sure what occurred between the travels but when it was all said and done and I got back from two and half months in the U.S. and a month in Europe, I just felt different. A lot of things just didn’t mean anything to me anymore. I guess I was sort of bitten by this travel bug. This idea of like: “I’ll try anything once!” sort of attitude. I got to go and experience all these things and in my head, it just became foolish to renounce something I’ve never experienced (and drinking a can of beer when I was thirteen doesn’t count as experience). So I drank, got drunk and it was pretty awesome. And I will admit, I did the typical edgebreak thing and went crazy for a couple months, had some fantastic drunken nights but even that gets old. Because you ultimately realize there’s no big thing about drinking. It is what it is. And hopefully those of your friends that stay edge ultimately come to that same realization. 
    I don’t regret being straight edge whatsoever, as it shaped who I am today. But I certainly don’t regret breaking either, as it’s who I am now. Some of my best friends are still edge, and a bunch aren’t, and it’s all good because (and it’s cheesy but) “those who mind don’t matter, those who matter don’t mind.”

Mar 24th, 2009 @ 11:57 pm

Josh Lovell . Four Year Strong Merch/Bloodlust Apparel I Am Straightedge. Anyone that is or used to be would say that its something thats near and dear to their hearts, and obviously it’s no different for me. I’ve been “Edge” since i was 17 years old. Even before that i was never into drugs or alcohol. The lifestyle never appealed to me. This was solidified for me by having a drunk deadbeat father that i haven’t seen since i was 10, and a brother that ran away from home and got into the life of drugs and hanging out with scum-bags. I never wanted that for me, i wanted to be better than the thing that got me down,or the people that ruined the lives of the ones i loved.  I see no reason to pollute my body or my mind. Minor Threat is a band that spoke to me about Straightedge at an early age. They were saying things that me and my friend Jason had always felt but didn’t even really know was a “thing”.  Once we realized what it could be a way of life we were instantly intrigued, and it became a part of our lives. A lot of bad connotations come along with Straightedge now-a-days and i can understand that of course, with anything it can get out of hand, but i feel like someone thats going to stay Straightedge past the point of their adolescents can understand that it is a personal choice that is for no one but your own self. I’ve never felt that everyone “should” be Straightedge, and I’ve never felt that I’m better than someone that isn’t. However, i do know that its the right choice for me and that will never change.“I’m a person just like youBut I’ve got better things to doThan sit around and fuck my headHang out with the living deadSnort white shit up my nosePass out at the showsI don’t even think about speedThat’s something I just don’t needI’ve got the straight edgeI’m a person just like youBut I’ve got better things to doThan sit around and smoke dope‘Cause I know I can copeLaugh at the thought of eating ludesLaugh at the thought of sniffing glueAlways gonna keep in touchNever want to use a crutchI’ve got the straight edgeI’ve got the straight edgeI’ve got the straight edgeI’ve got the straight edge”       -Minor Threat

Josh Lovell . Four Year Strong Merch/Bloodlust Apparel

I Am Straightedge. Anyone that is or used to be would say that its something thats near and dear to their hearts, and obviously it’s no different for me. I’ve been “Edge” since i was 17 years old. Even before that i was never into drugs or alcohol. The lifestyle never appealed to me. This was solidified for me by having a drunk deadbeat father that i haven’t seen since i was 10, and a brother that ran away from home and got into the life of drugs and hanging out with scum-bags. I never wanted that for me, i wanted to be better than the thing that got me down,or the people that ruined the lives of the ones i loved.  I see no reason to pollute my body or my mind. Minor Threat is a band that spoke to me about Straightedge at an early age. They were saying things that me and my friend Jason had always felt but didn’t even really know was a “thing”.  Once we realized what it could be a way of life we were instantly intrigued, and it became a part of our lives. A lot of bad connotations come along with Straightedge now-a-days and i can understand that of course, with anything it can get out of hand, but i feel like someone thats going to stay Straightedge past the point of their adolescents can understand that it is a personal choice that is for no one but your own self. I’ve never felt that everyone “should” be Straightedge, and I’ve never felt that I’m better than someone that isn’t. However, i do know that its the right choice for me and that will never change.


“I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need

I’ve got the straight edge

I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and smoke dope
‘Cause I know I can cope
Laugh at the thought of eating ludes
Laugh at the thought of sniffing glue
Always gonna keep in touch
Never want to use a crutch

I’ve got the straight edge
I’ve got the straight edge
I’ve got the straight edge
I’ve got the straight edge” 
      -Minor Threat

@ 11:47 pm

Rick Jimenez . This Is Hell I have never really had the urge to drink or get fucked up on drugs or anything. Growing up watching videos of bands I looked up to and such, glorifying drinking and partying never even really worked too much towards making it appealing because I grew up surrounded by what alcohol and drugs REALLY does. Drug and alcohol abuse is a bit a common theme in my family and the reality of that shit’s not pretty. Through middle and high school I was always the dude that didn’t drink out of all the drunk metalheads and grungers I hung out with. Once I found out about straight edge and heard Minor Threat, I was like “sick, this dude feels like I do” and it focused my thoughts around it. Especially around that time in my life, it was great. It was around the time when it stopped being “i’m going to a party at a friends and some people are drinking” to “yo, we’re in high school and we’re partying, WHOOOO HOOO! you don’t drink? you a pussy?” I am more than capable of standing up for myself, but being able to say “Fuck you, I’m straight edge and you’re a fucking cookie cutter high school stereotype loser” was a lot better for me. I used the title and the strength behind the term as an organized idea to my advantage. I was never the “hey, you need to be straight edge too!” type, but i definitely take pride in the fact that I am for my own reasons and it give me strength. I would X up in high school and everything…and like I said, it wasn’t to alienate other not sxe people, but more, “i’m straight edge and you must acknowledge it just as much as i must acknowledge that all my friends are drinking and smoking and shit all the time around me.” I’m 28 now and still straight edge and still very proud of it. My first tattoo was 3 x’s. I’m constantly surrounded by people that are drinking, smoking and partying but I don’t expect any special treatment for being sxe, I just ask to be respected as a human. Whether I am sxe or not, I think smoking indoors is rude and blowing smoke at someone outside or in is rude. Being a loud drunk…that happens, but whether I am sxe or not, I don’t want someone in my face talking close or spilling beer on me. 

Rick Jimenez . This Is Hell

I have never really had the urge to drink or get fucked up on drugs or anything. Growing up watching videos of bands I looked up to and such, glorifying drinking and partying never even really worked too much towards making it appealing because I grew up surrounded by what alcohol and drugs REALLY does. Drug and alcohol abuse is a bit a common theme in my family and the reality of that shit’s not pretty. Through middle and high school I was always the dude that didn’t drink out of all the drunk metalheads and grungers I hung out with. Once I found out about straight edge and heard Minor Threat, I was like “sick, this dude feels like I do” and it focused my thoughts around it. Especially around that time in my life, it was great. It was around the time when it stopped being “i’m going to a party at a friends and some people are drinking” to “yo, we’re in high school and we’re partying, WHOOOO HOOO! you don’t drink? you a pussy?” I am more than capable of standing up for myself, but being able to say “Fuck you, I’m straight edge and you’re a fucking cookie cutter high school stereotype loser” was a lot better for me. I used the title and the strength behind the term as an organized idea to my advantage. I was never the “hey, you need to be straight edge too!” type, but i definitely take pride in the fact that I am for my own reasons and it give me strength. I would X up in high school and everything…and like I said, it wasn’t to alienate other not sxe people, but more, “i’m straight edge and you must acknowledge it just as much as i must acknowledge that all my friends are drinking and smoking and shit all the time around me.” I’m 28 now and still straight edge and still very proud of it. My first tattoo was 3 x’s. I’m constantly surrounded by people that are drinking, smoking and partying but I don’t expect any special treatment for being sxe, I just ask to be respected as a human. Whether I am sxe or not, I think smoking indoors is rude and blowing smoke at someone outside or in is rude. Being a loud drunk…that happens, but whether I am sxe or not, I don’t want someone in my face talking close or spilling beer on me. 

@ 9:20 pm

Travis Reilly . This Is Hell When I was younger and new to the hardcore scene I didn’t even know what straight edge was. It’s the classic story you hear from a lot of people. “I was straight edge before I even knew what it was”, the same was true for me, I was so worried about my parents freaking out if I got drunk or smoked or anything like that so I never did it, and to be honest it never really appealed to me you know? I didn’t see the point in getting drunk or high, I thought smoking cigarettes was dumb then and I think it’s even dumber now. So when I got around to finding out what it actually meant when I was young I claimed edge and x’ed up here and there and was probably a bit obnoxious about it from time to time like a snobby little kid. Now that I’m 26 I no longer claim edge, I still don’t drink, smoke or anything like that but I just don’t feel the need for the label especially since there are so many people out there that make it look horrible. I mean the same can be said for a lot of things, the bad apples will always ruin it for the bunch. I still have respect for straight edge kids who do it for the right reasons, and I have a ton of respect for people who are no longer straight edge but understand the concept of moderation. There are so many kids I know that were so loud and proud about it and they’re always the ones that fall off the hardest and get bad drinking and or drug problems and it’s really sad. I don’t regret calling myself straight edge from age 13-24 and I also don’t regret not trying drugs and such, I mean I’ve tried beer and alcohol before and I never enjoyed any of it. I just can’t stress enough for younger kids to just think for yourself, just because you don’t enjoy drinking/drugging you don’t HAVE to claim straight edge, just be yourself, and for the kids who enjoy getting wasted and getting high and stuff like that, that’s cool as well, as long as everyone just respects each others choices I think that’s rad. In closing, for fucks sake stop smoking cigarettes indoors. Thank you and listen to Battery.

Travis Reilly . This Is Hell

When I was younger and new to the hardcore scene I didn’t even know what straight edge was. It’s the classic story you hear from a lot of people. “I was straight edge before I even knew what it was”, the same was true for me, I was so worried about my parents freaking out if I got drunk or smoked or anything like that so I never did it, and to be honest it never really appealed to me you know? I didn’t see the point in getting drunk or high, I thought smoking cigarettes was dumb then and I think it’s even dumber now. So when I got around to finding out what it actually meant when I was young I claimed edge and x’ed up here and there and was probably a bit obnoxious about it from time to time like a snobby little kid. Now that I’m 26 I no longer claim edge, I still don’t drink, smoke or anything like that but I just don’t feel the need for the label especially since there are so many people out there that make it look horrible. I mean the same can be said for a lot of things, the bad apples will always ruin it for the bunch. I still have respect for straight edge kids who do it for the right reasons, and I have a ton of respect for people who are no longer straight edge but understand the concept of moderation. There are so many kids I know that were so loud and proud about it and they’re always the ones that fall off the hardest and get bad drinking and or drug problems and it’s really sad. I don’t regret calling myself straight edge from age 13-24 and I also don’t regret not trying drugs and such, I mean I’ve tried beer and alcohol before and I never enjoyed any of it. I just can’t stress enough for younger kids to just think for yourself, just because you don’t enjoy drinking/drugging you don’t HAVE to claim straight edge, just be yourself, and for the kids who enjoy getting wasted and getting high and stuff like that, that’s cool as well, as long as everyone just respects each others choices I think that’s rad. In closing, for fucks sake stop smoking cigarettes indoors. Thank you and listen to Battery.

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