by Lori Bodnar
Plainfield, Illinois, USA
I grew up in West Chicago. Like most teenagers I had a small wild streak. I didn’t do drugs but I had found other ways to “get high”. I would drag race through local streets at high speeds, tossing debris (tomatoes, chicken nuggets covered in sauce, full sodas) at oncoming vehicles. I was a holy terror on and off road. This led to getting in trouble in school, at home and work.
One day in 1987 I was arrested (for assault, not surprising, huh?) I was taken to the police station — and not for the first time either. A local sheriff’s officer, Deputy Norbie, sat down in the booking room with me and asked me how long I wanted to live. He told me about other kids who had killed themselves by doing drugs and doing other stupid things. And then he told me that he thought I would be one of the next people he saw in the morgue.
By the time I got back to the police station I was doubting that the woman had told me the truth — and I was dumb enough to say so. So the officer pulled out the boy’s file. He was 16 years old and went to the same school I did. He showed me a picture of the car and the pictures of the two other people killed in the accident. I believed. He kept pushing me to admit that what I did was stupid and dangerous, and finally I did.
I went home that night and couldn’t sleep. For months I was haunted by what I had seen and heard. But thanks to Deputy Norbie, I believed. And I changed my life.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:28 — 3.2MB)
Audio Credits:
- “Car race car citroen race screeching” by pawelbas via freesound.org
- “Cell door 2” by goodlistener via freesound.org
- “Knocking door and open door” by rivernile7 via freesound.org
- “Car door open close” by phenoxy via freesound.org
- Guitar and narration by Connie Delaney
I am proud of the fact that you changed your life for the better. Not everyone learns from their mistakes. It was a blessing you found that deputy at that particular time. I am sure that all these years later, you are proud of yourself. Thank you for sharing your story.