One of the things I used to use as an analogy to people who asked me about steroids and their use/abuse was:
If you could take 10 strokes off your golf game by taking a single pill a day, would you? The answer was ALWAYS a resounding "YES!".
"If you could improve your guitar playing substantially overnight...?"
More closely to my interests are when I was racing motorcycles. "Would you take a pill if it helped you drop two second, HELL, ONE second off your lap times?" The answer was some form of "FUCK YES I WOULD!" I always followed up with "What if the cost was xxxx?" related to health or even cutting years off of lifespan. Most, if not all were cool with paying some cost.
My discussion and analogies helped change many opinions of steroids for the average persons, of which they already had a pretty negative and incorrect view on, based on the stupidity of the masses being fed hyperbole or in the least, misinformation by the media and the U.S. government.
If I heard them say that "steroids are cheating", then I would ask if that meant ALL of them? Because a pitcher needing a corticoid injection to pull off a double header doesn't exactly make him "natty". Don't get me started on birth control hormones and their mass proliferation.
But as I have gotten older, or perhaps because of the incredible rise in abuse due to social media hype, my position has changed. No longer is it the serious athlete trying to improve their already incredible game/skill/accomplishments. It is now the person who joins a gym and has been led to believe that one simply does not gym without gear. They aren't trying to improve from their already establish accomplishments, taking it to the next level. They are starting out at zero level and expecting to be something they are leagues away from to begin with. Some of these guys are also using incredibly high dosages right out of the gate. It simply blows my mind!
I think my opinion has changed significantly. I know that people who improve in whatever they are working at, at a pace that is appropriate and sustainable, they seem to have a better sense of self-esteem doing so. They know the work and the cost of making those improvements, respect it them in themselves and others, and understand fully what it took to get there.
We live in a microwave society. We want everything NOW! America is really, really bad with this. Look at the popularity of fast food. But I digress...
Social media has convinced everyone now that everything is attainable to everyone. I am all for hopes and dreams and working hard toward those. I applaud anyone who works toward their goals feverishly, even if they might be slightly delusional. But not everyone is meant to do everything. I was never very good at golf, but I had a good time playing it. I am a shit guitar player, but it gives me a warm feeling every time I pick it up, plug it in and hit some sweet tones.
I was pretty good bodybuilder in my 20s, but nowhere near genetically gifted enough to be a great bodybuilder. I still dug it though. All of it! I was not great in my 50s, but I was still a national level guy. Something I would have never been in my 20s. Now I am 60, and I think I have a very competitive physique in this age group.
Just as we have seen a wave of what I consider gross steroid abuse in the last few years, I hope we see a wave of realistic expectations and conservative use in the future.
