High School Shootings, Red Hot Chili Peppers, PETA and Shaun Cassidy

I just noticed that my puppy is eating organic dog food made by Dick Van Patten. Remember "8 is Enough" ?? Probably not if you are under 45 but I loved that show! Willie Ames was so cute. So surfer, so LA, so dreamy. He was one of my wannabe boyfriends (right below David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Rick Springfield and Leif Garrett). What a list. I do believe that all of them (with the exception of the goody-goody Donny Osmond and maybe Shaun Cassidy) all had some sort of drug, drink or sex addiction, right? Anyhow, the Dick Van Patten dog food made me think of PETA, which made me think of Bob Barker ("come on down!"), which lead me to, you guessed it, Max.

My son uses Bob Barker personal hygiene products at rehab. I guess Mr. Barker makes shampoo and the such for prisons and low-cost, court-ordered rehabs. I thought my son was joking when he told me that, but then I saw it on TMZ the other night. It's true. Bob Barker personal hygiene products for the average American prisoner. I'll bet they're not tested on animals. Probably better than the stuff I can afford to use now. However, Max's hair really doesn't look that good lately but not sure I can blame that on Bob Barker.

Speaking of the son, he's still alive, so that's good. Still in rehab after an AWOL attempt last week. Had one really good therapy session in which I was allowed to bring the organic dog food eating pooch to the therapy session. But then on Sunday during our family visit, not so good. Well, it started out ok: he was showered, clean(ish) looking, neat and tidy in his regulation uniform (dark polo and khakis). But after first glance I noticed his pale, pale skin, thin, thin body (the pants are huge on him and no sagging allowed in this place, thank God!). Dark circles under his eyes. They tell me he's still not eating but they sneak him cookies every once in a while and try to get him to drink Ensure.

He got very angry half way through the one hour visit. "WHY are you doing this to me? This place is not getting me help. I am just going to be angrier when I get out, if I even stay. I'd rather be dead." I had to report the "rather be dead" part to the case manager so she can keep another eye on him. I left without giving him a hug but I did tell him I loved him. Not sure he believes me.

I drove back yesterday to drop off another book (seems he is actually reading for a change) and a basketball hoop for the back of his door. He finishd reading "Scar Tissue" the amazing book by Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (now sober!). So I got him the new Russell Brand book (also sober!). Maybe he'll understand if those two guys can get sober then he can. I wish Robert Downey Jr. would write a book. From what I'm hearing, Charlie Sheen is not ready to write the "sober" book just yet. Too bad "2-1/2 Men" is one of Max's favorite shows.

Since Max can't get along with the "general population" they are trying to give him his own room. It was always that way in school, all the way back to kindergarten at Montessori. The teachers always loved him, he had friends, but he just got so agitated by the other kids he always had his own desk usually up by the teacher (if she was young and sweet) or in the back or the classroom, in a corner (if she was old and cranky).

I do believe that kids now have it much harder than say, 20 years ago. They know too much. It was so much better to be blissfully ignorant.

On Friday night a 14-year old Freshman at the local high school (Max's school had he stayed) ran off the baseball field during practice, across the street to a Sheraton Hotel, went up to the 10th floor and jumped. He told everyone at practice he was going to do it. Some of them chased him then lost sight of him. Sadly, most of them saw his body hit the sidewalk. Suicide. But why? People said he seemed "fine" that day. 14 years old.

On Sunday night at 9:30, a gang fight between the SM13 and Graveyard Crips broke out. 30 teens/men apparently. Shots were fired. No witnesses or bystanders when the police got there. This took place 2 blocks from where I live. And where I walk my organic dog food eating puppy. Last time I walked there I thought the street looked a bit dicey. Saw a scary looking dude smoking his yard. The yard was an odd mix of baby toys and empty beer bottles and cigarette butts. When I got closer, I smiled. (What else could I do?) He smiled. Relaxed a bit and then told me what a beautiful dog my puppy was. I told him he was from El Salvador. He seemed to like that. Asked me how long it took to groom him. Said it must take a lot of time to keep him so white. He seemed really interested in the dog grooming. We smiled at each other as I walked towards my block, the "good" block. I wonder if he was part of the brawl on Sunday?

Today at 10:00 A.M. a student was shot in the head at another SoCal high school. The shooter, a 17 year old student, apparently brought the gun to school for protection, and when he dropped his backpack, the gun accidentally discharged and shot two other students, one who is currently undergoing surgery as she was shot in the head. I wonder who he needed protection from? Where did he get the gun?

Some days I just want to grab my kid and my puppy and go back to 1978.

I want to go where young teenagers practiced kissing album covers of Shaun Cassidy in the privacy of her own bedroom because that was the only thing to do in your bedroom: no computer, cell phones, text messaging, tv. If you were super lucky you might have a record player or maybe the phone cord would reach all the way across the hall into your room so you could have a private conversation with your best friend about boys.

I want that world where a teenager would feel pain (they always do no matter what the year) but instead of jumping off a buiding, shooting a classmate with an automatic weapon, or injecting heroin into their scrawny pale arms, they could pull out a denim covered diary, gently unlock it with a thick piece of foil that was supposed to pass as a key (high security indeed!), and write about it. Write about the fears, the pain, the shame, the embarrassments and humiliations that come with being 14, 15, 16 or 17.

And, then, once it was all written down, they could go back to practice kissing Shaun Cassidy. You know, just in case there was a chance meeting one day.

I know we can't go "back" but can't we make the "forward" better than the "present?"