Friday

July 25, 2014

Smart Bears, Angry Rats

Help  75 years from now
             "If you test positive," Ubutu said, "I would like you to go to a rehabilitation center.  The corporation will pay your expenses, and maintain the lab until your return."

"I'm going to test positive," Sammy said, "but I don't need rehab."

"This could be the dawn of a new day for you." Ubutu said to Sammy.  "So much about you could change.  Getting clean would change your attitude, your vision, and the way you hear things.  You'd approach the research with a fresh set of eyes – your own. Someday you would look back at this and say 'one step backward, a giant leap forward.'"

"You can't make me go to rehab," Sammy said. "Besides, I only took the Lil' Bit to help with the research.  You should be thanking me."

"I cannot make it any easier for you to get the help you need," Ubutu said.

Sammy shivered again. 'The Lil' Bit is really kickin' in' he thought. It gave him the courage to say, "What I need is four more mice and some time.  A little gratitude on your part wouldn't hurt either."

"Get help," Olsen said to Sammy, thinking about how many times his father had rejected any assistance that was offered.

 

Today I will remember there are none so helpless as those who won't accept a little help.  

Smart Bears, Angry Rats © 2014 by Ken Montrose

 

 

 

 

Freebies

This week's freebie is the Kindle version of Hauling it to the Curb: Cleaning up your life in early recovery, available at  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

 

 

To read Kindle books on a PC or Mac, you can download a free app at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000426311

 

 

Upcoming

Burnout: Clinical, Ethical, & Supervisory Issues
September 12, 2014 at Greenbriar-New Kensington
9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m
$30 payable in advance, at the door, or by invoice after the training

This three hour training is accredited for:

• Addiction Counselors by the Pa. Certification Board
• CRCs  by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification # 11938191652 and 11938191653 (one hour Ethics portion)
• Counselors by NAADAC #477 and NBCC #6352
• EAPs by the Employee Assistance Certification Commission
• Social Workers by the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.

Other Blogs

 AArdvarks, a daily messages blog about a group of young people in recovery can be found at: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/6693580-addiction-is-everywhere

 

NEW BLOG!
Life on Life's terms

AA has a slogan Life on Life's Terms.  It means getting clean and sober doesn't exempt us from life's challenges. Sometimes the challenges are monumental.  Sometimes they are minor.  In either case, they are Life's terms, and they must be met.  The trick is to meet them with acceptance, humor, and determination.

 

Life's Terms

That morning my son missed the bus.  I suggested he walk to school, but my wife felt a ten mile hike up a busy interstate in the cold might be teaching him too much of a lesson.  "Besides," she said, "the weatherman said to expect freezing rain followed by snow."  I agreed to drive him there.

I missed my exit and had to take a long looping route back to the school. My son blamed me for being late.  I wrote a note explaining his tardiness.  He read the note and handed it back to me.

"Are you trying to get me detention?" he asked. 

"No!" I lied.  "Here, I'll write you another one." 

Needing a smile, I tried to send my wife an "I love you" text with a kissy face. Somehow I sent it to my son's former basketball coach.  He texted back that while he was fond of me, he thought I should try to work things out with my wife.

I sat in traffic on the way to work.

"Is this really a good day to start a new writing project?" I asked myself when I finally got there.   Just then, an old man with a cane hobbled by my office door.  He smiled and waved as he passed by. 

"How you doing today?" I asked.

"Great to be alive!" he said with a broad smile.  I knew he was right.

 

Today I'll be grateful I'm alive to accept Life's terms.