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In reading this book, Duke says the circus gave all of its performers baggies of methamphetamine to keep them driving "safely" to their next town. But what if Duke decided NOT to take it? Do you think his life would have turned out differently?

I feel that he wanted to be accepted in the circus life, and it's what was just normal. He accepted it to fit in, but also to really live the life. If a bag of drugs was handed to me back in the day, for free, I would of took it. Now I have three kids, and I wouldn't dream of it, but the temptation will always be there. If he didn't take the stuff, then he might of fell asleep while driving, and that never ends good. He also probably would of been kind of rejected from the circus life because I feel it may be like part of the job in a way. His life would of been different, but for the better or worse, no one knows. That's part of our life, is making choices, and riding the waves!

I feel that I would not have taken it, but then again that is after years of seeing the scary commercials on TV, having anti-drug lessons in health class, and hearing horror stories about people who were addicts getting clean. Without all that training, who knows what I would have done? I don't think that I could really judge him, or say that he would have gone one way or the other, because of this training.

I wonder how he would have kept up the pace of the circus life without some kind of substance... perhaps caffeine instead of methamphetamines? I wonder if he would have burned out from the circus lifestyle and chosen a different path?

I think that he would have burnt out. His reliance on the methamphetamines tied in with his addictive personality and his need to feel accepted by his circus family.

I think yes, without drug use anyone's life is bound to change. Because now a person will be living in reality and this can cause a person to make life-altering decisions.

Based upon the premise of the story, I believe with or without the drug, Duke's life would have still turned out just as the author intended, thus there would have been no need to write this tragic story line. But in essence, I think if anyone, in addition to Duke decided NOT to take it, Yes, good or bad, his life would have turned out differently.

I think he would have found a way. He's a very resilient fellow.

I think his life would have definitely been different. Taking drugs is what made him able to work and keep up with his crazy schedule, but it also caused him to be really addicted to it. If he hadn't taken drugs, he probably would have found some other way to stay awake and keep up with the pace of his circus life.

I think that his life would have turned out much more different but I also don't know if he would have found his life that fulfilling without his circus family. I think that taking drugs allowed him to not just keep up with the work but also to connect with the other people who were there. I think he would have had to find something else to keep him going, and I think that in the end he might have gone with a different choice instead of living the circus life.

I definitely feel his life would have taken a different path had he not gotten involved with drugs in the first place, but like others have said he probably wouldn't have been as included with the rest of the performers.

I think his life definitely would have been different. He likely would not have been able to keep up with the lifestyle and be part of the circus family more easily.

I agree with everyone's opinion. He could have been on a different path if he chose not to take methamphetamine. He'll get exhausted too fast and unable to keep up with the others.

10mile72 wrote: ↑09 Jun 2018, 14:16 I think he would have found a way. He's a very resilient fellow.

I agree, without the drugs clouding Duke's ability to think and plan long-term, I believe he could have turned his life around.

I don’t know if his life would have turned out differently but the free access to methamphetimines definitely didn’t help him. It’s sort of like people that have a major injury and are prescribed oxycontin and get addicted. If they wouldn’t have had the injury maybe they would have had a different outcome or maybe people with an addictive personalities just fall into the cycle of addiction more easily. It’s hard to say how these situations play out.