An old friend

Was chatting with an old friend through msn just now, let's just named him X here.

I've known X for like 10 years, he was an old friend. I recalled during high school years, he was a good friend, always been there, whenever i needed a friend, someone to talk to, or even a shoulder to cry on. He has been a perfect gentlemen, despite what others would think of him.
I secretly thought that he's going to turn out to be a fine person when we finally grow up.

Unfortunately, peer pressure took over when we're almost finishing high school, long hours spent at the Internet Cafe playing games, neglected school work. Yet I still think that was just a transitional period, that he'll finally come to his senses and come back to the right pathway and move on.

Well, of course things do not turn out the way I thought. He eventually made friends with a bunch of kids with the tendency to gamble, but just amongst friends. And X thought he found he coveted angel. Overtime, he developed a deep adoration with gambling, and started thinking that he'll only been able to make something out of his life only if he took chances. Guess that's the lesson he learnt from gambling.

He then went on to invest most of his family money on a Multi-Level-Marketing Company, abandoned his studies, lost almost if not all of the money, turn to gambling for comfort, work in accommodation industries for a while, then eventually settled with a telecommunication company with his job description involves him to listen to people's complains all day long, did a two-timing thing once, lost his job in economic crisis, jobless and *new* dream..being a professional gambler.

It was just so sad when we finally bump into each other on msn, while we were updating each other's life, all he could talk about is gambling..how to gamble, how much he gambled, where he gambles etc.

I just got somehow annoyed with it, as I disagree with all that he has believed in. I feel like shaking his shoulder and tell him what I think he is going to do is suicidal, is idiotic and unbelievably stupid, but we've grown apart and we're no longer the close friend that I can spill on with anyway that comes to my mind..

It's just all so sad..it used to be such good old time..
Just nostalgic.