Dre is 26 years old. He wishes to go by his nickname. He is a childhood friend of mine. We grew up directly across the street from each other and attended the same elementary school. The majority of our childhood was spent skating around our neighborhood in Woodside, Queens. I remember the summers when we and other kids from the neighbood would have skate sessions late into the night. We pushed up and down the bumpy Woodside streets searching for spots. A smooth ledge to grind on would be ideal. If it wasn’t smooth enough, we’d skate back home and harrass our mothers for any little piece of candle to wax the spot we yearned to skate. We were dedicated and passionate about what we did. Skating brought us together and created what I see today as a life long friendship.

As we grow older, we picked up different hobbies and responsibilities. We rarely have time to skate anymore. Skating today is a nostalgic activity. We’re both rusty, but it helps bring us back to an easier time. About 3 months before I captured this photo essay, Dre and I were out of contact for about 2 years. We live very different lives and have very different goals. However, one call from a mutual friend of ours reconnected us in a very shocking way. Dre’s mother committed suicide and I was asked to attend the wake. After attending the wake, Dre filled me in on what led to what he describes as “the most difficult period in his life.”

His mother was severely depressed after a divorce and the whole family moved out of their home. His mother Elizabeth lived by herself in their house until her death. After her death Dre fell severely into depression as well and it affected his performance at a print shop he designed for. He was fired shortly after. Today he is unemployed and still trying to cope and come to terms with what has happened. He moved back to his old house. He and his girlfriend have a mission to save his mothers home from being repossessed by the bank. Dre once had excellent credit which his mom helped him established. However, he is now almost $40,000 in personal debt after paying for funeral expenses.

This photo essay portrays his reality after an unfathomable loss. However, it is also a documentation of our reconnection. Dre grieves through expressing himself on a skateboard. However, he also copes through escape. He drinks and smokes more than I can remember. I suspect it’s to ease the unavoidable saddness he is experiencing. At the same time, Dre does have hope for a better future with his girlfriend.