Monday, October 13th, 2014

David never got his blue card.

David is my lifelong friend from childhood. He had it tough. One of a preacher’s nine kids, he always had to be perfect. David was never allowed to make decisions: they were always made for him. So when he grew up and left home, he made lousy decisions because he didn’t know how to make good ones.

David joined the army and was injured during training, hit on the head with the steel door of an army tank. He’s never been quite the same since. He also got mixed up in using drugs, and has been a real mess his whole adult life.

Years ago, David was admitted to a mental hospital in the beautiful and serene Napa Valley. I flew out to San Francisco, rented a car, and drove to Napa to visit David. This was one of the most powerful, yet upsetting and depressing weeks of my life.