Addictions Suck. Rebuild Your Life.

Read the story here.

This is a sad story. Addictions do waste life. They steal it away, take our hope, our why and our reasons to live.

Read the story here.

Be well,
Damon

Once dad took two friends and me fishing down to a place called Miller’s Ferry. It’s in Wilcox County near Camden, Alabama. The official name is the William “Bill” Dannelly Reservoir. We’ve always called it Miller’s Ferry. It’s a good place for 30 pound catfish, as well as drum and stripers if they’re running. Dad loved fishing below the dam: lots of rocks, lots of current making for oxygen rich water and lots of fish.

Remember the Millennium Falcon from “Star Wars”? (It was the fickle old space freighter hot-rodded and piloted by Han Solo and his Sasquatch-like friend Chewbacca.) Dad’s old boat was just as fickle as Han’s bucket of bolts. The boat was a tri-hull design, popular in the 1980s. It was tan with black trim complete with a 100 horsepower Mercury motor. That motor was huge: a straight six cylinder and a true tower of power. It could haul like scalded dog, assuming it worked.

Here’s how it happened: The water below the dam fluctuated because of the barge traffic moving upstream and downstream through the lock system. Miller’s Ferry is a spillway and hydroelectric dam. Whenever the turbines were running, it caused massive chop somewhat like Niagara Falls. Life jacket or not if you went overboard you’d die.

We approached the dam. Dad ordered anchor down. All went well until he said, “We are moving. We are moving. We are moving! We are moving!” None of us understood, then it hit me: the horn blast had come from a barge upstream signaling its intent to enter the lock. The turbines were running, and the water level had risen since the lock operator released all that water to let the barge continue downstream. The water had risen just enough to lift our anchors; we set adrift.

It was an illusion: sometimes you think your moving when, in fact, you’re not. Sometimes you think you’re stationary when, in fact, you’re moving. Dad knew the difference. It was good seamanship.

Spillways form “drowning machine.” The water spilling over the dam creates a “backroller” current: It pushes anyone or anything down toward the base of the dam, spits you out and upward in a circular motion back to the surface, then sucks you back in to start the cycle again: a true drowning machine.

Dad knew what was coming. He ordered anchors up and tried to start the motor. It died. Then the dam grew. Such things happen from a child’s perspective. No matter what dad tried, the damned motor wouldn’t crank.

We would’ve died that day, but G-d had different plans. Another boater saw our situation. He cranked, hurried over, threw a rope, and got us the Hell out of there. Downstream we eventually got the old Mercury running again. Dad’s words: “Don’t tell you mother.”

From this experience I can say that the only way to save ones life is if another is willing to risk his life to save yours. All addictions lead to death. There’s no way to save yourself, try as you might. The boater who risked his life to help us was much like that of a sponsor. Addictions are ugly and messy. Getting involved in another’s messy, pathetic life has it’s risks. I’m sure happy someone took a risk on me.

Be well,
Damon

P.S., If you’d like to read more encouraging stories like this, please subscribe to my e-mail list and you’ll receive a free copy:

It never amazes me how often you see broken and beaten people rise from the ashes to help others in the same ways they’ve been helped. As a pastor friend of mine says, “You misery is your ministry.” There’s more to life than mistakes and poor choices.

Here’s an expert from The Providence article:

Marshall Smith may have been a “bad guy” on drug-infested inner-city streets, but that makes him the best guy to run Lorne Mayencourt’s groundbreaking addiction-recovery centre, the former MLA says. …

“That’s now an advantage for him. He’s been there, so he knows how the addict thinks and he’s hip to their behaviour.

“It gives him credibility, and they respect him for it.”

Read article now.

Be well,
Damon

EDITOR’s NOTE – The unusual spellings contained in the expert are British spellings.

You may have read in previous posts and may have seen in various screen capture videos that I don’t put too much stress on steps and plans as guarantees of success like words sent down from Mount Sinai that the sun will rise tomorrow, yet sometimes a few steps can help clarify life. (Also, I’m just not a list person. Steps look like lists; that annoys me.)

Here are four things I’ve found valuable in making progress toward any goal in life:

1. Pick an area of your life. Write down where you are. Determine if that is where you want to be.

2. Try to figure out how you got there. In doing so you’ll have quite a piece of information to help you change direction or stay on track. “The tape doesn’t lie,” as one of my music professors said during a recording session. It’s healthy to look at life just to clarify where you are.

3. Always expand from what you know to what you don’t know. People often get this backward, i.e., they want everything to fit into what they know, thus preserving status quo becomes more important that growth and development. Don’t try and make the universe fit into your world. Strive to figure out where you fit into the great scheme of things.

4. Move backward if needed. Sometimes giant steps have to be taken in smaller steps. Sometimes moving backward helps you go forward. It puts you in a position to move beyond where you were. If the road you’re on comes to an end, walk backward to find another path.

Be well,
Damon