Ex-Con Journal #11 RE Released from Prison August 17, Drunk, August 18th, Sober August 19, 1990

My allergy to alcohol is, as per an old maxim, 'When I drink, I break out in handcuffs.'

Looking back on the Bad Ol' Days (Daze), it could be argued that the police were my personal intervention team. They keep me from drinking myself to death. But ironically, had they put me out of my misery like a wounded horse, I couldn't have hurt anyone anymore. Conversely, the people I helped through the years of sobriety who told me that my Story saved their lives, well, you do the math. More people are alive than dead.

In God's Economy, nothing is wasted. Hopefully, I am not 'imagining' things when I say that no matter how far down the scale we have gone in life, we can help others avoid the path we went down. In worldly terms, I served time. In spiritual terms, now time is serving me to help others.

We need to burn it into the consciousness of both we and our fellows that 1) we are more than our mugshots, 2) forgiveness is more powerful than the offense requires its presence, 3) we can get well regardless of anyone or anything, and 4) cling to the thought that, in God's hands, the dark past is the greatest possession you have---the key to life and happiness for others. With it you can avert death and misery for them.

Never give up.