The Shame of a Man in Cuffs

I was drifting in and out of my Discrete Mathematics course today when I started thinking about Ritalin. I know plenty of people who take the stuff (or something like it), and I know that there's a reasonable chance that it could turn me from Goofus to Gallant, but personally, it freaks me the heck out. I'm aware of the power of drugs that deal with psychological conditions at a chemical level, but I choose to deal with my "quirks" on my own. I completely respect people who choose to get by with a little help, but every once in a while, someone's prescription will run out, or they'll be traveling and forget to pack their medicine, or just accidentally skip their dose for the day and I see a slightly different person emerge.

Does life feel different on Ritalin? Do Adderall users ever want to break free for a day? I can't say. I've never tried any of these drugs. Still, I wonder.

I'd like to propose a new holiday. Friday, April 4th will be the first annual "A.D.Day." I've done a significant amount of research on the subject and I speak from experience. (Well, a fair amount of experience. I read a few books. One book. I almost finished one book.) Here's what you do: on April 4th, don't take personality-altering medication. That's it. You won't get the day off from work or school, and you'll still get your mail. This is more of a "Personality Holiday."