In 1976, when I was 26 years old, I had a college degree and was working in New York City as a programmer. I was good at what I did, and my income had been steadily increasing. I drove a fast, flashy car. I hung out with a group of friends that maintained a ``respectable'' appearance, but we were all on drugs. I rode the train for 2 hours each way to and from work. I smoked. I drank. I managed to pay for my drugs with my good income, but some of my friends sold drugs to pay for their drugs. Their friends sold a lot of drugs. Through them, I met some pretty big time drug dealers.
Let me tell you where some of these friends are now. One of them went on to become a heroin addict and wrecked her life completely. One of them has served time in prison. Others have married and divorced.
In short, we were all sinners. We were lost in sin -- dead in sin. My life had all the ingrediants for me to go the smae way. My life was a recipe for a dead man. It was just a matter of time, and then I would die.