Eighteen Months Later...

            "You don't ever have to feel this way again."

That statement stuck with last night's speaker, who was who was graduating from the 18 month Hard Six program. He said that during his intake interview at the Roosevelt house he was demoralized and beat down from drinking. He'd just come from the homeless shelter to seek help. And when the resident doing his intake told him he didn't have to "feel this way ever again" he was hopeful.

He did what he was asked to do in the Hard Six program. If he was asked to dig a ditch, he did it. If he was asked to wash cars he jumped in and participated.  He couldn't say no – which is one of the program guidelines. Even though it was difficult, his focus was on staying sober. He was tired of living on the streets, of being stinking drunk, demoralized and experiencing blackouts. He finally was assigned to work in the outreach department in the corporate office. He stayed there for several months, until he got off restriction and began working for a private business.

It was inspiring to hear this man's testimony. Even though everyone has an equal opportunity to get sober at TLC most clients don't have the self-discipline and fortitude to do the simple things they're asked to do. While the average person who doesn't have a problem with alcohol and drugs would look at TLC's requirements and wonder what the problem was, most addicts and alcoholics are starting out at the bottom. Sometimes even the simplest tasks, such as making a bed or shaving every day and showing up to work on time is difficult. Our job here is to teach clients how to live like so-called "normal" people. It might seem simple – but it's one of our biggest challenges.

Today our graduate lives in TLC's long-term sober housing. He loves his job. He's attends Rio Salado College with the goal of becoming a drug counselor. He has a wide circle of friends in the recovery world.

He closed his remarks last night by saying, "What I was told at my intake was true: I haven't felt the way I felt when I came here since I got sober."