Book excerpt: On Riding a Bike Blindfolded is based on the thoughts and experiences written by a heroin addict named Scott. His words and illustrations were found and read by his mother, Lori, after he died from an overdose. Due to his addiction, Scott left home and was not welcomed back until he stopped using drugs, something he could not manage to do. He lived from place to place, including abandoned warehouses, condemned shacks, and boxes in alleys, among other uncomfortable places. Undoubtedly, he shared all these places with rats and other hungry creatures. Sometimes, he was lucky and shared a friend's apartment. Other times, he spent weeks, months, or years in jail cells or prison. From all these places, he wrote what has come to be the journal you will read in this book. In every page of Scott's journal, he tells you every part of his life—from what it's like to share a crowded jail holding cell with sick and scary prisoners or being arrested and handcuffed in front of his girlfriend and every detail he suffered during his horrendous journey with heroin. The journal is not just about his experience with addiction. Scott was not just about addiction. He was an athlete, an artist, a pole dancer, the gymnast kind, and a poet. He loved his family, his friends, and especially the girl he hoped to marry. You will find yourself wanting to be his friend one minute, and the next minute, you will want to scream how mad you are because of his choices. This story is like no other one. It is told in a very personal way that makes you feel a part of his life. The last words Scott writes are written on the very day he died. His death will make you sad and maybe a little angry that some very bad people killed him...and walked away.