I've ran into quite alot of sob stories throughout my life time, but every now and then, you get one that hits close to home and makes you stop in your tracks and think for once. I won't lie, despite my problems and challenges, I'm living a perfect life compared to some other people I know. Negligent parents, drug addictions, death of loved ones, poverty, heartbreak, stuff I can't even imagine going through. Stuff that people I know go through every day. Most people pass by these poor souls and merely say "That's so sad, I feel so sorry for you." and walk way. If you're so sorry for them, help them out dang it! Also, I'm pretty sure pity is the last thing people want in a situation like that, I've spent years feeling sorry for myself and having others feel sorry for me, it doesn't make you feel any better. I try not to JUST pity them, but to do something for them. However this is near impossible for several reasons. First off, most people with rough lives don't trust those who have easier lives and often scoff when the persen lending a hand says "I can relate". Second, there isn't much you can do to help if the victum does not want help to begin with. Third, if the person is a aquaintance met on the internet, conveying feelings can often be very difficult through text alone, making the victum feel as if there is nothing you can possibly do. I know that feeling, the feeling of not being able to help, helplessness to help I guess. It makes me feel less than a man when I fail at this. Even with the restrictions of growing cynism, moral decay, internet communications, and an increse in skepticsim, that doesn't mean I won't stop trying.

If you actually read the entire journal, you've got guts, and I owe you one.