World of Good Blogburst, Recovery Style

This one's for lawman who works to provide boundaries for those who need help.

Welcome to another World of Good (WOG) Blogburst here at The Scratching Post. Today we take a slight deviation and focus on some recipients of acts of kindness instead of the givers. Previous WOGs have shown people raising money for MS, helping disaster victims and bring comfort to the elderly and disabled. What’s it like on the other side of the charity?

People are not pets. Jacob the Syrian Hamster lives at our house and we feed him and take care of him, but the only thing we expect of him is to be cute and furry. (He’s good at it, too.) One of the things I learned, particularly from the Special Olympics, is that some of the people receiving charity were working hard to be worthy of it. The Special Olympics athletes had practiced for the events and were determined to do well. They weren’t objects of pity. They were people who were doing their best to help themselves. It made all the difference in the world.

The news is filled with stories of drug addicts. It’s easy to report because the news media can just subscribe to the police blotter and read straight from it. The people involved become faceless objects on a newscast. This is misleading. They’re struggling with their own problems and need help. Some of them work their way out of their addictions and it took no time at all to find stories of recovery on the Internet. The website for Recovery Month has a bunch of them. Here’s a portion of one.

I was eight years old when I was first exposed to drugs. My mother and her boyfriend were selling pot out of the apartment and the police came and busted the house. My mother went to jail…My siblings and I were questioned by the police as to whether or not we have ever noticed green stuff or white powder in the house. We were small children and didn't have a clue…my father…died from an overdose of heroin…(I had a friend who) taught me how to roll a joint and we smoked it. I was so high and everything was so funny. When mom came home she knew someone got into her stash. She confronted me about it, I told her yes, and she said it was ok for me to smoke pot, but only in our house.

…I met my 17-year old daughters father, who is Jamaican, and he gave me all the cocaine I wanted for free. Little did I know that it would lead me to a life of hell and destruction. I started off by snorting. Then I made drug trips for him, flying to Tampa Florida, carrying kilos of coke.

…I stop making these drug runs. Then my mother started doing the trips for him. He paid her $2500.00 but make the money back from her since she was buying it from him and smoking it. I didn't know about smoking cocaine just yet. Then when I did learn about this, I tried smoking it. My mother and I were high every single day.

…(I began to) prostitute myself for the drugs. My two children were born addicted to cocaine. My daughter had to stay in the hospital because she had the shakes so bad. The social worker wanted to take my son away from me. I had to sign papers stating I would make sure he got special care for the withdrawal for an infant.

I said to myself I was going to stop then, but I didn't. I continued to use for another two years. I hit rock bottom with a heart attack at the age 29…(At the hospital) they put me on the psych ward. I didn't care I needed help, and I knew if I went back home, then I would use again and die leaving my three children at that time.

I went to meetings, got a sponsor, and went to a recovery house called Safe Haven. THANK YOU LORD for those women. They taught me how to live. I was the first to graduate without being kicked out for using.

…I am a counselor now, and I work with people who have disabilities. I am so grateful that I am able to help someone, just as someone helped me, unconditionally. For those who are reading this story, if you are using, stop now. There is an easier and softer way of living without using anything to change your mood. And if you are not using and know of someone who is, please share my story with them. I will be 11 years clean in January 2005. For all the grace of God, keep clean it will work if you work it. Love Lachele

I have a very good friend who is a recovered alcoholic and drug addict. He told me his story once and it was much like this. He now donates his time to AA and works to help others recover. In his own, quiet way, along with people like Lachele, he’s doing a world of good.

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Bloggers who link to our WOG posts get to join the WOG Squad. Membership in the WOG Squad has many mysterious benefits, including cures for psoriasis and the ability to transfer millions of dollars of Nigerian money into your bank account! We also offer attractive blog link incentives. Feel free to drop us an email if you'd like to join. Operators are standing by!

Previous WOGs at The Scratching Post:

WOG, Navy Style
WOG, Aussie Style
WOG, Katrina Style
WOG, Hospice Style
WOG, Boy Scout Style
WOG, MS Style
WOG, Amy Hawkins Style
WOG, Chiapas Style
WOG, Special Olympics Style
WOG, Hats for Cancer Style
WOG, Love on a Leash Style

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