Kids don't know anything about fire safety or drug use

Date: 3/14/14
Distance: 1.64 miles, then 1.34 miles
Location: Carrboro, NC
Catalyst: Stop Podcasting Yourself 310 (the middle bit)



The first time I ever encountered drug use was a late spring day after school. I was in 7th grade, I think. I was walking home from the bus stop and I saw a kid lighting a fire in the yard next to his house. That week there had been lots of news reports about the dry, windy weather and all the adults were concerned about fires, fire safety, and fires getting out of control. So I did what I thought any reasonable citizen would do: I approached this guy (he was probably a couple years older than I was) and asked what he was doing.

I asked in part rhetorically because that's why I'd gone over to him in the first place: I wanted to call attention to his possibly irresponsible behavior. But I also asked because I literally didn't know what exactly he was doing. I still don't think I know exactly what he was doing.

He was pouring lighter fluid on some dark green plant matter that he'd scooped into a small pile on a bare spot on the lawn. Then he was lighting it with a match, putting his face directly over the fire, and covering his head with with his jacket.

Now that I'm a wise old man, I think it was pot and he either had no idea what he was doing or he was really bad at huffing. Probably both. In any case, he looked at me like I was nuts and I mumbled something about being careful with fire because of the wind and stuff and then walked away.

That poor kid. I hope he was jaded and thought I was dumb. Otherwise he probably spent the rest of the afternoon worried that dorky little me was going to call the cops about some kid setting fire to his lawn...