A Dream Deferred

After work today I decided to go to Jo-ann's craft store. Watching Project Runway has me believing that I can design garments just as good, if not better, then the contestants. On my way there, I saw my high school sweetheart, JS.

JS and I dated from my sophmore year to graduation and broke up because I went to college and we kind of grew apart. I've spoken to him on and off for the last 5 years, and because he lives in my neighborhood, I see him occaisionally. We have mutual friends and I've heard so many stories as to how he was doing.

The first story I heard was that someone slipped him a mickey and he hasn't been right ever since. I've heard that he was on living with his grandparents because his mother couldn't handle his mood swings, and then he was put out because he wasn't taking his meds. I never believed the stories but I happened to talk to him about 6 months ago and it seems like the stories were true.

The phone call lasted for about 30 minutes and he was extremely incoherrent and I mainly talked to myself the whole time. He wasn't speaking in complete sentences and he was laughing inappropiately. If the call wasn't enough to change my mind, seeing him today set the claims in stone.

He gained weight, which isn't a bad thing at all, but he was in desperate need of a shave and his clothes were very worn. He looked very disheveled. I always give people the benefit of the doubt and maybe he just finished doing hard labor or was just having a bad day, but whatever the case is, he did not look like himself.

Many years have passed and I always pictured him the way he was in high school: athletic, clean shaven, and full of life. Now it seems that he has let himsef go and is in need of psychiatric help. He planned on going to dental achool but it seems that those plans have changed. Seeing him made me feel thankful that I was able to get the proper care I need and, even though my family doesn't know about my condition, I still have some sort of support system. I know I have deferred my plans but it seems that some people have to take a longer road to get to their destination. Let's hope that he finds the help he needs before it gets too late.