Aware

When I was in high school, most of my classmates were experimenting with marijuana. I’m not sure why, but I wanted nothing to do with it. I drank, even during school hours. I wanted to be a part of the crowd, although I’m not sure it would have mattered if I didn’t because the school was so small (45 kids in my class). I don’t think we had peer pressure they way children do today.

But I do remember being angry about my friends being given pot to smoke. Some of the parents would even let them smoke it. It terrified me and with good reason.
One girl I grew up with got pregnant (actually a lot more than one). But this one in particular gave birth to a baby when she was 16 who had one arm and one leg. She was part of the group of my friends who smoked pot and it devastated me as much as it must have impacted her.
Her parents were outraged! But where were they when she was out every night getting high? They thought she was just out with friends. Certainly their daughter would never get into such trouble. To their defense, no one could have imagine it, but when your children begin to change their behavior, you have to be in tune enough to notice!