I came across an old SILVER SURFER comic book, that was on sale for just a dollar.  ($0.25 less than it originally sold for, in 1987.)

Last time I read this issue, I was 13 years old.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why I would’ve been drawn to the Surfer.  On page 36, he tells his former boss/father figure:

“I DARE, GALACTUS — BECAUSE I, TOO HAVE AN INFLEXIBLE WILL — AND IT IS COUPLED TO CONSICENCE!“

adding:

“IT MATTERS NOT WHAT OTHERS DO!  THE SILVER SURFER MUST BE TRUE TO HIMSELF!“

Hokey and ham-handed, sure.  But I’m betting that idea resonated with me, on some level.  Operating with a strong sense of what’s right and wrong.

Previous examinations of my past have turned-up unsettling connections and things that must’ve been obvious to others, but I was oblivious to.  (This early video memoir unearthed my romanticization of lone gunmen fighting for justice.)

But the above quote may have had some good influence.  I suspect most teenagers see an “inflexible will” as a good thing.  But in my case, I applied that will to not drinking alcohol or using drugs. That’s no small accomplishment for any teenager (or adult.)  So I should thank Steve Englehard for helping me with my sobriety.