Melissa

You know, there are a few things in life that really do upset me. When friends get hurt, or just anyone gets hurt, it hurts me. It really stings when it is another person's fault, or it could have been easily prevented. What I am talking about here, is drunk driving and the deaths and pain caused by it. I guess it is one of those things that you really don't think about untill you see it close to you. When my mother was in the urgent care part of the nursing home she was at when she was on her death bed because of diabetes, it was hard enough for me to handle. She was 49 years old and died of something that was considered a natural disease, it was hard to take, but understandable. But when I learned of the 13 year old girl in the room next door to my mom, I felt a part of me feel as if I wanted to go crazy. Her name was Melissa. She was in the first teenage year of her life when she was going to the store for a container of milk and a candy bar. She was a young girl full of hope and happiness, and dreams of being a model, and she would have, I believe if she were alive today to do so. But she never got that chance. She was hit by the car of a careless and irresponsible drunk driver. You know what burns me up so much, is they call it an accident. It wasn't anything near an accident. He didn't have to drink so much, he didn't have to drive after drinking that much. It wasn't an accident, it was intentional as far as I am concerned. When you are that drunk, and you decide on your own free will to move that car even so much as an inch, as an adult it is common sence, that there is always that possibility you might injure or kill someone. So, it all boils down to stupidity. How can we just let this happen? How? You know, that girl, that beautiful little girl, was an outstanding student. She wanted to live, and to do good in life. And someone that had no regard for anyone else, took that life away from her. She lived in that nursing home for a little over a year and a half. She responded to her emotions backwards, she laughed when she wanted to cry and she cried when she wanted to laugh. That wonderful mind she once had couldn't function properly. She loved to have company, and even though she couldn't do anything but move her arms a little bit and smile, thats all she needed to do to make a person happy to see her, to make them care and know how great she was. About a year after my mother passed away, I got word of Melissa's death. In a way I was relieved because she didn't have to just lay there like that anymore, and I knew that she was in such a better place where there weren't any drunk drivers, or pain, or anger. And I knew that she was okay once and for all. But in another part of my heart I hurt so bad, because even though I didn't know her very long, I would miss her, the world would miss her because her time here was too quick. She should have been walking down the runway right about now, and making choices, and listening to music, and talking on the phone with friends. And you know what? Somewhere out there is the guy that hit her, and to this day I wonder what he is thinking. If it even mattered to him, if he ever got sober. I hope that he did, and I hope that her shortened life has made a difference in someone elses. Maybe he turned out okay. I hope so. And I know she does to.

WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY:

Please, make a difference.If you have a drinking problem, please get help. If you know of someone with a drinking problem, please talk to them, and try to get them help. If you are going out on the town, please don't drink and drive. Please be a friend and take the keys from anyone too drunk to drive. There are alot of people out there counting on you to make the right decision, people you don't even know and have never heard of. Please, don't get to know thier names through the obituary because of your or a friends carelessness. If we all stick together and make SOME right choices, we can help make this world a little bit better. Honestly, I drink moderately myself occasionally. I am not saying that you aren't supposed to drink at all if you choose. But please, be a responsible adult. We also need to look at the drug problems we have today. Children don't get them from children all the way up the line. Somewhere, an adult gave the drugs to a child. There is definately something wrong here. The future is the younger generations, YOU as an adult need to protect the future now.

MADD Homepage
SADD Homepage
D.A.R.E.Homepage