And they express their anger in different ways. Some call the city to complain about the property, the living conditions, or the food. Sometimes there’s an inspection and we may have to change something. But we always get a clean bill of health.
Sometimes they take more bizarre measures. For example, one man spent time at the state capitol trying to find a politician who’d pass a law to close us down. We’re still here.
Several years ago a man we discharged sat in the parking lot across the street from the Mac house office for several days. He aimed an imaginary pistol at us out his car window. Finally, the police told him to go elsewhere.
Another former client – a man I’d never met - spent a few years railing about me and TLC at 12-step meetings. After a while he finally got drunk and disappeared.
Even though these clients express anger at TLC, I believe they’re mad at themselves. One more time they’ve failed to change. And rather than look at themselves they blame anything or anybody.
And every so often they summon the humility to return and try again. And we still help them.
