You Don’t Have to Do This
Letter to the Young Man Shooting Up In Our Doorway
Pair with Fix You by Coldplay
Ever since we crossed paths on that Friday night in London, the image of you sitting there on our stoop with the needle in your arm has stuck with me. I felt stunned. Stopped in my tracks by an overwhelming sadness and powerlessness. A familiar feeling of wanting, though not being able to make you whole again. Barely being able to make myself whole. But that is my story.
I don’t know your story. I didn’t think to ask. The whole situation was awkward and not in the way that could be laughed off with a witty remark. We said nothing beyond “Excuse us” and you said “Sorry” and scooched to the side so we could pass.
I try not to make assumptions. You might not be broken. Maybe you did this to have a fun night. I don’t know and honestly, it’s none of my business. I am not judging you.
But I wish I had had the wherewithal to say:
“You don’t have to do this.”
Regitze Ladekarl has re-emerged as a raconteur after a long, successful career elsewhere. She crafts universal tales from everyday lives with an honest, sharp and witty pen. Besides working on a forthcoming novel, she flexes her voice with personal essays, flash fiction, and method writing here on Medium.
Subscribe to her newsletter here and you will never miss a good story.
Thank you!
