[BlackBearDenMother]

When I heard Diane Sawyer had been in Harlan County and was planning this special to air on 20/20, I dreaded it because they DO always show the worst. That being said, it was all true. There are thousands of kids who live that way every day of their lives. Now, all I wish is that she would come back and do a story on the flip-side of life in the mountains. There was an article in the local newspaper, the Harlan Daily Enterprise, on Thursday, the day before the 20/20 show aired, and it said they didn't want to see the brand new state of the art highschool that we have here in Harlan County. They didn't want to be taken to Woodland Hills or Caball Estates (two of the nicer areas in Harlan County). This show was focused on the drug problem in the Harlan County segment of the the show. But, I have to give Diane Sawyer and the producers a break....it was just a one-hour show that wanted to focus on bringing into the light and helping the poorest kids in Appalachia...but like I said, come back and do another story on the kids who come out of here and DO succeed.

As far as Shawn Grim, I really, really felt for him. I DON'T know him personally or know anything about his "work ethic", but when people are raised in that kind of situation and that is all they know, day in and day out, it is hard to push through and get a different mentality...it is easy for them to just give up and go back to what they have always known no matter how bad it is. Diane Sawyer said NO ONE in his family had ever even graduated from high school, much less gone to college. Also, we don't know what kind of scholarship he got from Pikeville (anyone who knows, feel free to comment), but I'm sure no matter what kind of shcolarship you get, you still need money for other things, money you have to come up with yourself, money he OBVIOUSLY wasn't getting from home. His support system he had always known through high school (coachees, friends, community) probably most likely WASN'T there for him anymore. He was like a "fish out of water" people. I just hope he does get another chance from some of the people who posted on the CBS website that they would be willing to help him. I hope he still has enough drive and fire in him to step up and accept the help and make a better life for himself.