I'm Aaron Pham. I'm 16 years old and a Sophomore at Reeths-Puffer High School in Muskegon, MI. I'm on the wrestling team.
That is how I would have described myself if I hadn't been killed. I had been drinking and I rode with a friend who had been drinking too. I trusted my friends. I thought they would never let me down but they did. Nobody at that party stopped us. I wish that I had that night to do over again. I wish that I hadn't lied to my mom to get her to let me go out. I was trying to turn my life around by joining the wrestling team. I quit smoking weed. I had cut back on the drinking. I just wish that I had stopped. Maybe I wouldn't have been at that party or maybe I would have been but I would have been sober. Then Terry and Shawn would still be alive and Chad wouldn't be in prison.
I felt my life slip away but it didn't hurt much. The truck crushed me and I died fast. I'm glad that I didn't suffer. That would have made things harder on my family. My Mom, Grandma, Grandfather and Sister would have hated that.
I wonder what I'd be doing right now. Would I still be partying or would I have succeeded in turning my life around? Would I be working out for the wrestling season? Would I be pickin' on my little sister? I'll never know.
I'll never know what it's like to turn 17. I will never know what it's like to go to prom or to graduate high school. I will never be married or have kids? I'll never know any of this all because of alcohol and a couple of bad decisions.
How could this happen to me? I was ONLY 16! I sure hope this never happens to my sister. In fact, I hope that this never happens to anyone ever again.
Please don't let my death be in vain. I would gladly give my life to save others, so IF you choose to not drink, to not drink & drive or ride with a drunk then my life and death will have meaning.
I hope that my family is okay. I know that they loved me even when I screwed up. I guess that I should have counted on them and not my friends. I'm sure that my friends love me but they just don't always know what's best for me like my Mom did. They don't always look out for me like my Mom did either. I guess that she really did know what was best for me. I sure wish that I could tell her that she was RIGHT. It's too late now because I'M DEAD.
Aaron Lee Pham
10/3/91-12/12/07
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