“We need to stop just pulling people from the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’ve been falling in.” -Desmond Tutu The river of addiction never stops flowing. Hundreds of thousands fall into it and are swept out at sea. There are hundreds of nets, platforms and resources set up at the mouth of the river to catch people before they are swept out at sea. However at the part of…
So, I just took a quick long weekend trip to Key West Over the past few days. I never thought I was a fan of Key West. I had been there two times earlier in recovery and all I saw was drinking and debauchery everywhere. That’s what I always assimilated the island with. Now, another decade later, and I went back to the island and had an entirely different experience. This is because of a…
The back right tire catches some gravel on the shoulder, and starts to slide as I grab the steering wheel and try to pull the car back in line. The car swerves back and forth until finally gaining traction. The blue bandana around my head is drenched in sweat as my teeth clench tightly at the leather belt that is wrapped around my bicep. “Start me up” by The Rolling Stones is blaring out of…
I’m here to tell you that within all my years of recovery I’ve never felt like I was treated “less than” for being a recovering addict. My personal approach is to be upfront and honest in almost every situation. That includes first dates, job interviews and any other situation where I think people may look at me differently if they found out on their own. For me, this has always worked out in my favor….
What’s the point of shedding our skin and emerging anew if we’re just going to come in contact with all the same things our old skin came in contact with? A second chance is more than a just a retry, it’s a blessing, and our gratitude should impel us to do everything in our power to try things differently given the opportunity. In order to fully change, you must kill off your own self completely….