something sad to see

Two girls came into the pet store today to get dog licenses, and it took me about five minutes of surreptitious glances to figure out why I recognized them. I graduated with the younger of the two, and while we didn't really talk much during high school, she and I used to be friends when I was little. I remember spending quite a few nights at her house, riding bikes, and enjoying the last vestiges of summer as only little kids can do.

What's depressing to note, and the reason I couldn't recognize either of them, is just how wretched they both look now. Stacy (the older sister) is missing most of her front teeth. Rotted out, it looked like. Track marks and easily identifiable scars clearly visible on her forearms and wrists. Nicole (my former classmate and friend) didn't look quite so bad, as long as you ignored the matted hair, the emaciation, and the gaunt, haunted look of her face.

It reminded me of a line from that Against Me! song. "No mother ever dreams that her daughter's gonna grow up to be a junkie."

Despite the sarcastic comment I made when they left the store, I couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for both of them, and to wonder just how they ended up like that. Nicole wanted to be a veterinarian when we were little.

Sad, isn't it? We all have such big dreams when we're too young to understand anything of what could be headed in our direction, and it's pretty horrifying to see just how badly things can go wrong along the way.