People

One of the guys that has been here since I have is having a hard time right now. We have worked together and hung out and stuff, but for the last few weeks he has been lost. Steve, Tyrone and I can see him crashing, he is being swallowed by his addiction. It is bothering me right now because he is a good guy and it's bad to see this happening. Also, I feel as though he is becoming a detriment to the Center. I would like to help, we all would, but it is difficult to decide what to do. Usually someone has to hit bottom before they reach out for help. But when does that come? What can you do until then? There aren't any easy answers and we pretty much cannot do anything. Just be here I guess. But I don't like the atmosphere it is creating at the Center, so that is something I think should be addressed. It's a bummer to see this happening.
I had a good experience yesterday when I was at St. Mary's Day Care. When I walked into the room, Dmitri, one of the little 4-year old boys ran up to me and buried himself in my lap. I enjoy working with the kids. They are fun to play with, innocent, silly, nuts, all sorts of good things. One thing that I realized when he came to me was that all he saw was "the guy who comes in on Mondays and reads and plays with us." He did not see the color of my skin or anything of that nautre. The innocence and potential in the kids amazes me. I love seeing it. I hope that they find direction and support so the good things can be nurtured.