Last week I spotted a somewhat familiar face outside our corporate office. But I wasn't sure where I knew him from. He had a scruffy beard. His hair was greasy and matted. His clothes looked slept in.
Finally he comes over and greets me, breathing stale alcohol fumes in my face. Once he told me his name I remembered him well.
He was with us ten years ago. He was a strong contributor to the program. He could do most anything with construction. He worked on many of our projects, doing maintenance and repair.
When he left he'd been sober for a few years. But he wanted to go because he "needed to make money."
And now, about nine years later, he had serious health problems. He was also homeless and broke.
Of course we took him back into the program and will do what we can to help him rebuild his life.
Cases like his are one reason I caution those who leave simply to go to work. Yes, jobs are important. But many addicts believe that if they just have a job and some money life will be okay.
But rarely does anyone come to TLC to get a job. They come here because thier life is unmanageable because of their addiction. Until they get that part right nothing else is important.
If jobs kept people sober they wouldn't need us.
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