Habili-blog 8/17/18
“This time is going to be different”
by Jared Mayes
Most addiction success stories start the same…
The hardships an addict has caused for their families as well as themselves. The ups and downs of the recovery battle. The unfortunate truth is that most of these stories have a perpetual to be continued written at the end because there is an unknown as to how long the “This time is going to be different” speech will really hold true.
I’ve been conditioned not to lean on the manipulative false promises that are easily dished out but rarely followed through. I’ve seen the most hardened criminals and the most prominent members of society come through the “recovery scene.” There are a couple character traits that someone from either of the ends of this spectrum must have to succeed in recovery. A level of humility, a willingness to learn, and pardon the bluntness but the ability to shut up and listen.
When you come to a point of being able to put your pride aside and remain teachable you can begin to make changes. My best friend is a monster. At least that’s what the judicial system labelled him as. A gang member, and a violent thief. The kind of guy who when you see walking down the street, you clutch your belongings just a little bit tighter.
His family has a different recollection of their little boy who went to private school and was an accomplished athlete and scholar. A Son, a brother, a father, and a friend who developed the ability to disassociate himself from everything he was taught and feed the adrenaline of his inner demons. The reality is, he was never a criminal. He was never a terror to society. He was a man playing a role.
His role today is a leader.
An example to many and a follower of none. He made a decision to relinquish his false personas of their duties and put his adopted lifestyle to rest. Is his family weary of the validity this time around? To some extent I’m sure the answer to this question is yes. Are they surprised of the changes he’s made? No way! They always knew his potential and what he was capable of. Are they glad that he decided to go to a long-term treatment program that helped him with this rediscovery? So much that they encourage him everyday to give back what he has learned and help drug addicts still suffering in their self-imposed hell.
To say he is a success story would be a gross understatement. I have personally witnessed prosecutors who once held personal vendettas to make sure he never saw the light again, stand up in court, congratulate him, and wish him luck. I have seen him hold his mother for the first time in years. A tear-soaked embrace of recognition, knowing right then and there that this was her little boy she always knew.
They say to be successful you must surround yourself with like minded successful people. Today I choose my friends wisely. It’s very easy to call this man my friend. Together we crusade into the wreckage of drug addiction and through the vessel afforded to us through Habilitat, we offer a light in a dark world. An opportunity to those willing to open their eyes and see it. For my friend, my co-worker, my brother, this time really will be different.