Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Sunday's Speaker

The speaker at Sunday's meeting told of living homeless for some six years. His address was either the river bottom or one of the local parks. He didn't trust people. He drifted in and out of local halfway houses, making halfhearted attempts to get sober.

And one of the programs he went to was TLC. It took him several attempts before he finally succeeded in the Hard Six program. Not only did he participate in the Hard Six program, he also sought outside counseling and worked hard to expel the demons that kept him returning to the streets.

And when he spoke he talked of some of the "firsts" in his life. For example, it was the first time he's had a job for one year. Car insurance. Friends, including a sober girlfriend.Three years of sobriety. Living in a home in the suburbs. A credit card. He spoke of these accomplishments with awe and humility because these were new experiences.

And for those of us in the room who were part of his recovery experience, it was a moment of gratitude.

And for the newcomers this was a powerful testimonial that anyone can make it in recovery if they have the motivation.