You know all those things that happen to somebody else? Well, as I get (ahem!) older, I'm finding a lot of them are happening in my life. It's no longer distant; as the years mount up I've had many astounding things happen in my circle of family and friends. Some are wonderful, but many are horrible. This is a story of one of the horrid ones.
The young man is my relative by marriage. The marriage dissolved in the 70s but he and his family are close to my children and grandkids. Let's call him Dallas.
Dallas has grown up in Huntington Beach. If you haven't been there in awhile it is decidedly more upscale. Small houses have been razed and in their place are McMansions, gated communities and security guards. Dallas lives in one of those homes, probably worth $2 million easily -- a band member from the group Korn is his neighbor.
He excelled in sports in high school and was never a problem academically, either. Dallas was a Good Kid.
He went to Long Beach State for a semester, but moved home with his mom and dad and little sister because he flunked out. Fairly common, couldn't handle the freedom and made some bad choices. Got a part time job selling ice cream and enrolled in community college.
He was never a chatty Cathy, but Dallas became more withdrawn and quiet. Everyone noticed at Christmas that he wasn't eating any food, nor was he socializing. Come to find out that's because he had become addicted to heroin and Oxycontin. His parents immediately put him in a 30 day rehab. He's there now.
How does it happen that an athlete from the suburbs of Orange County finds heroin and becomes addicted? How long has it gone on and what kind of help is he going to need? The whole family is stunned and baffled and in a state of shock. How did this happen? His parents have never used drugs and don't even drink.
Is it a sign of these dark times or just a fluke? Did he have too much growing up that he had to go looking for some thrills?
Put him in your prayers because I suspect he has a long, hard road ahead.
having worked with the Boys & Girls Club movement for over 10 years, some of it comes from not finding their connection....the expectations, though different, are still the same -- everyone wants to find a place to belong, someone with which to have a connection....perhaps this was Dallas's challenge....
Posted by: Lindy Beatie | January 25, 2010 at 11:25 AM