Catalyst

[Jade]

As I was sitting in the library today this guy came in acting funny. He seemed too friendly in the worse kind of way. He sat down at the computer next to me and started talking to me. It turned out he was a homeless ex-addict who's 7y.o. daughter had just been killed by a drunk driver. He broke down and cried and I didn't know what to do but just be there with him as he made a scene and people started shuffling away. I decided that this was clearly God giving me another surprise duty and took him to the park to drink beer and smoke ciggies and talk through his woes in a more private setting. Things got out of hand though and, long story short, I basically ended up watching over this guy while he shot up heroin in the outer suburbs. He was okay, and between the heroin and being able to vent his feelings he was a lot better by the time I said goodbye. I told him I wouldn't see him again, but we hugged and he cried.

I don't even know how I feel about all this. Fear for humanity. I'm so tired I could cry. This post is just a secondhand vent.

Great story, thank you for sharing.

To put this into perspective, a higher-class person might likely deal with the catalyst in a very similar way - though their heroin comes in pill form. Substance abuse is rampant in our society and using it to numb the pain of a severely traumatic event is actually quite socially acceptable. Hopefully your love helps him begin an upward spiral, instead of the likely downward spiral he would have begun alone. Blessings to you and him, and thanks.