Julie Case

The worst event that ever happened to me occurred during my fourth grade year. My half-sister, Julie, took various illegal substances and wrapped her car around a light pole. I can remember spending the majority of the next two months in hospital waiting rooms, screaming at nurses for telling me I was too young to see her. There was one nurse that let me see Julie just before she woke from her coma, and there were so many tubes connected to her body that she was unrecognizable. Julie is doing much better now, I suppose, but I think my desire to grow up fast stemmed from this event, from being told I was too young to be with a family member when I thought I should have been with her. I never wanted to be in that position again.

The worst event that almost happened to me was when a very close, older friend tried to commit suicide. I was twelve years old and my mom just told me he was very sick. Not until several years later did he tell me the truth himself. Post-traumatic stress disorder from six years in the navy had driven him to take an entire bottle of pills. Perhaps finding out so many years later helped to cushion the effect this event on me, but looking back I would have been devastated. This event would have made number one if he had not survived.

The worst event that ever happened to me occurred during my fourth grade year. My half-sister, Julie, took various illegal substances and wrapped her car around a light pole. I can remember spending the majority of the next two months in hospital waiting rooms, screaming at nurses for telling me I was too young to see her. There was one nurse that let me see Julie just before she woke from her coma, and there were so many tubes connected to her body that she was unrecognizable. Julie is doing much better now, I suppose, but I think my desire to grow up fast stemmed from this event, from being told I was too young to be with a family member when I thought I should have been with her. I never wanted to be in that position again.

The worst event that almost happened to me was when a very close, older friend tried to commit suicide. I was twelve years old and my mom just told me he was very sick. Not until several years later did he tell me the truth himself. Post-traumatic stress disorder from six years in the navy had driven him to take an entire bottle of pills. Perhaps finding out so many years later helped to cushion the effect this event on me, but looking back I would have been devastated. This event would have made number one if he had not survived.