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It’s been a rough week, for a number of reasons that I won’t get into. Let’s just say the last few days felt like I ordered the #3 combo meal from the drive-through at McSuck. For those not in the know, the #3 is the one that comes with a large side of everything going wrong at once. But I digress…<\/p>\n
Today, I delivered a substance abuse presentation to a group of 200 7th and 8th graders at an elementary school. The presentation went very well, but this was a tough group. This was easily the toughest crowd I’ve had yet. As middle school kids can tend to do right before 3 P.M. on a Friday, they got a bit restless toward the end of my presentation. Therefore, the Q&A session following my presentation was the shortest one yet.<\/p>\n
When it was all said and done, I was particularly run down. I’m still fighting off the worst illness I’ve had since having pneumonia in January of 2012. I sat on the edge of the stage wondering if what I said had any effect. As the kids filed out, one of them walked up to me.<\/p>\n
He leaned over toward me and said something quietly. Amid the noise and chaos of hundreds of students leaving an auditorium, it was really hard to understand what he said. I asked him to repeat himself. He leaned closer and said, “I’m addicted to drugs. I need help.”<\/p>\n
I spoke with him for a couple minutes and encouraged him to talk with his school counselor to get the help he needs. He was hesitant, so I talked with him a bit longer and encouraged him some more. Just then, another kid came up. The first kid pointed toward him and said, “He’s having trouble too.” I looked at the second kid and he nodded in affirmation, adding, “I get high every day.”<\/p>\n
After a few minutes of talking with them and encouraging them, I got them to agree to talk to their counselor. We walked over to her and I told her, “These guys have some concerns they need to talk to you about. Will you set up a time with them to do that?” She immediately agreed, and thanked me a few times. I shook both of the students’ hands and told them, “This is a really good choice. I wish that when I was your age I had the intelligence and the guts to speak up like you just did. This was a brave thing to do. I have a lot of respect for both of you.”<\/p>\n
As they were walking off, one of them turned around and said, “I have a lot of respect for you too.”<\/p>\n
What an incredibly humbling and fulfilling day. I am truly grateful.<\/p>\n
This is why I do it.<\/p>\n
<\/P><\/p>\n
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