Do you ever wonder who that person was?

 Do you ever drive by, walk by or look at someone who is obviously a drug addict and wonder who that person was or could have been?  I do.  


Yesterday I had to go to EnSoul beauty supply to purchase hair for a set of extensions I am doing tomorrow and the parking is away from the building on 4th St. 


 I took I-80 and got off at the 4th St. exit by Coney Island Bar and Grill so I had to drive up quite a few blocks and as always, 4th St. has some pretty interesting people watching.  As I was driving I almost hit a crazy looking guy on a bicycle as he swerved into traffic, completely in his own world.  It scared the crap out of me but as I looked at him I felt sad.  I thought "That is someones ex-boyfriend, son, brother, father, ex- best friend."  He looked about 60 and rough but he was probably closer to my age.  I grew up in neighborhoods were drugs were everywhere and went to schools were it was pretty common for kids to be partiers.   I have known people who have died of overdoses and health risks associated with meth and other drugs and a few who have commit suicide. As I parked my car and walked up the sidewalk to EnSoul, I passed a guy who would have normally scared the shit out of anybody walking alone in that area and I looked him in the eye and said "Hi" he looked at me and without any glimpse of a smile nodded his head.  For a second he seemed familiar.  He probably wasn't but I thought to myself,  I very well could have known that person 20-30 years ago and I wonder what kind of a young person he was and why he is the way he is today.  I ran into a girl when Jayson who is now 25 was around 8 and we were signing him up for baseball/football, I can't remember which and she was one of the prettiest girls in school, had married her high school sweetheart and I had heard she went to med school.  She came up and said "Hi" gave me a hug and for around 15 minutes I had no idea who she was.  When I finally realized who this crackhead with no teeth was and got over the embarrassment of everyone looking at us like we were the best of friends, I felt like I had been smashed in the face with a brick.  She was the girl all the girls were jealous of and all the guys wanted.  I often wonder if she is still alive, if she's gotten clean etc.  If she was that torn up 8 short years after high school, I highly doubt it but I have hoped.  I remember at the time she had twins and she had been going through a divorce and lost custody.   School friends of mine have seen her gambling at Bonanza Casino years ago and apparently she looked so bad they would avoid all contact with her.  That is just one story, I have many many more sad ones just like it.  I am just so thankful that the journey my life has taken me on has made me a strong person who can combat the weakness' that causes people to go completely off track like a derailed train.  Reno is a small town and if you have lived here your whole life as I have, when you avoid or pass that meth head downtown or where ever you may be.  Instead of avoiding all eye contact you may take a look...you may have known them in a different life.........