Had lunch with a friend today...

Well. Not really. He called while I was having lunch, by myself, at Quiznos. I offered to get something for him, but he didn't want me to drive to where he was in the (still) pouring rain. So instead, we racked up the minutes on my shitty cell phone plan (really need to fix that).

To say we have mostly led polar opposite lives as adults is almost an understatement! The story (drama) he told me about today makes me so sad. Sad for the people (that I don't know) involved (his son and the dysfunctional members of his sons mother's extended family), but sad because I'm sure the saga that he described must happen to a lot of people.

People that have drug/alcohol issues, virtually no skills, so limited ability to make a middle-class living, but yet these people can procreate. "Parents/Adults" that leave kids to not only fend for themselves, but perhaps care for much younger siblings. And leave them with little to no resources. Forcing the one in charge to figure out what to do with nothing. Then, in desparation, going to a store to steal stuff like diapers and bread.

Ugh.

Makes me so sad. Makes my "let me step in and fix this" instinct kick in. But I can't, really. All involved will have to muddle through, and hopefully they will make the right choices. All I can do is offer moral support, as it isn't my problem to solve. Well, that isn't "all" I can do. I can pray that they do the right thing, and I can pray harder that I'm never in a similar situation. And I can be ever-so-thankful that it ISN'T my deal to manage.