In my younger days I walked around the worst areas of town at the strangest hours... I went out to the area called 'Ghosttown' because ghosts are the only whites out at that hour, and that is where the crack was. I could tell some wild stories... But thank Hashem I survived that period. I am grateful I got out of that life because many have perished... That period was my Lions Den {as in Daniels test}...
What do you mean you got out of "that life"?
Were you doing anything bad?
I have admitted that 20 years ago I was on the wrong path, got into things I shouldn't have gotten into. During my darkest hours I know that there was an angel of Hashem watching over me. I got involved with drugs and wasting time {not being productive with my time, going to many rock'n'roll shows, etc}...
Only in 2003 did I finally do Teshuva and started studying the Holy Torah and became involved with an Orthodox community which I discovered here...
Thats my story, and I believe I had to experience it in order to be where I am now...