Vida!

Half a block off Central Ave. downtown.  Moving further into the alley, I passed a guy sitting in an alcove.  
-- MP, trying to act casual, asked, "How's it going?"
-- He replied, "I'm kinda struggling right now, but at least I'm still here."
-- I looked closer and saw he was injecting a needle into the vein inside his elbow.
La Vida!  Life.  How fortunate I am.