Sad people in your life - I want to hear your stories

[Taverner]

Somehow I got to thinking about people in my life...and I couldn't help but think of a friend from HS named Anna. She was adopted by a family that sexually abused her, then shipped her off to a correctional school (gee, I wonder why she acted up?) She was beautiful, intelligent and a genuinely sweet person. Unfortunately she had it in for her self, and liked to drink to excess on what seemed like a nightly basis (at age 16 no less.) At the time I had no idea this was a bad thing, being a teen myself. But hell, what does ANY 16 year old really know?

She and I would talk about a lot of things, running off, doing whatever came to mind. She had a nurturing spirit and would take care of everyone around her but herself.

Later on she met a guy who treated her no better than her parents, and had jealousy/posessiveness issues. He also liked to physically abuse her, but in her words he just had 'anger issues' showing his 'love.'

They had a kid and eventually she got out of that situation, and I have no idea where she is now. I hope to God she and her kid are doing OK. I hope to God she found someone who cares for her and her child. I hope to God she has healed from all of the trouble in her life.

SIGH. Just like Norman McLean said, it's sad the people who need the most help often refuse it.

I dunno...i've edited this a few times just to get it right. I'd really love to hear your thoughts, stories on this kind of thing....

[physioex]

1. It's like that everywhere you look in some form or another...

That's what makes us liberals. We care about the things that are wrong in this world, and try to fix things in what little ways we can.

[Champ]

2. Lots, virtually all my friends need a leg up one way or another

Especially my best friend since I known since I was 14. Right now he is in a pretty bad situation, I feel very sorry for him. He is very smart and can build anything out of anything, he is very handy. He had the whole future ahead of him, he still does but he is in an extremely difficult situation.

[clyrc]

3. I have a friend who is very sick

with a rare blood disease. She is only 24, and she goes to the hospital several times a month for blood transfusions. Every time she gets a transfusion it takes her longer to recover, and it is getting harder and harder for her to find a blood match, because apparently the body will react against even your own blood type if you have too many transfusions. She is afraid that people are only friendly with her because of her illness, so I have to be careful when I inquire about her health.

The same week I found out how sick that friend is, I found out another friend's son was diagnosed with MD. Her husband is in denial, so my friend is pretty much dealing with it by herself.

I feel so awful for both these women. Neither of them deserve these things.

[neverborn]

4. This is the other side of the "sociopath thread" story

My friend, Angela. She lives in bumfuck Freeperville. She's been harassed and assaulted by people she lives by for being homosexual. She can't defend herself -- she's 4'9 at age 19. She ran away from her father, who raped and beat her daily, at age 15. She lived on the street in a nearby town for a few weeks, until she met her first girlfriend. This girlfriend was a prostitute who did many, many drugs. She got Angela hooked on heroin and was physically abusive. Angela dumped her after a year and a half and met a new girl, moved in with her. She's the aforementioned sociopath. She abused my friend in any way possible. Sexually, physically, emotionally, etc. Her infamous quotes are "You aren't even human to me." and "But her spirit is just so easy to break!"

Angela left her and is now living with another girl who is well-grounded and a psychiatrist. Hopefully she'll get the therapy and love she deserves.

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I think about kids I knew who never made it to high school graduation.

We weren't "friends" but we knew each other in the hallways, y'know?

One girl was smart, nice, and a cheerleader/gymnist. She died from bone cancer when we were juniors.

A guy was on his way to becoming a first-rate trombonist. He lived for performance. Nice too. He was walking to a Thanksgiving pep rally and was killed by a hit-and-run driver. He was buried with his trombone.

When I was a freshman, a girl died of an asthma attack in the cafeteria and the school nurse could not save her before the EMS arrived.

The only positive thing I have derived from my memories of them is I try not to squander my opportunities. I think about how they weren't given a chance to become adults and have their own lives. Both kids died 30 years ago and I like to believe my remembering them keeps them alive.

[oneighty]

6. He was a hillbilly

He was on a Minesweeper in Korea in 1952. He had a scraggly mustache of the type only a child/man can grow. He had a chipped front tooth showing through his sad smile. He wore thick thick glasses which magnified the sadness in his eyes.

He would often ask me to sing; 'On Top Of Old Smoky' his favorite song. I would sing and he would cry, the tears looming large behind those thick thick glasses.

In later years I got to thinking; perhaps you would cry too if I sang to you. I have a picture of him leaning over the edge of the forty MM gun tub. The picture is old in black and white. It is fading away. On the back in my child-like hand writing is; Hickey.

And he looks so sad.

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