Sleeping on the Beach

A man who called several times over the past few months about getting sober called again today. He’d called so many times that I immediately recognized his voice and remembered his name. This time though it was different. Instead of dancing around about getting into recovery, he made a commitment to come in, saying his family had bought a bus ticket and he was leaving Florida this coming Monday.

Experience tells me that when people keep calling about coming to TLC they eventually make it. Even though it might take them a while to step onto the bus, the dissatisfaction that kept them calling says drinking and drugging isn't working for them anymore.

In addition, other circumstances may have contributed to his decision. He said he’d lost his apartment and spent the last three nights sleeping on the beach. And his girlfriend had left a week earlier. Often times these experiences are the catalyst for change. In this man's case he not only had recent dramatic changes in his life, he also had pressure from his successful - and supportive - family to do something different.

He gave me his schedule on the phone, which I didn’t bother to write down. I’ll know he’s here when he calls us to be picked up from the bus station upon his arrival.