15. Dogs Chase, Humans Cherish
The next day at work I struck up a
conversation with Phil, a new client with a history of cocaine, sex, gambling,
and alcohol binges. He had struggled to
admit he needed help because he could go so long between runs. I asked him what
finally made him seek treatment.
He said, “I realized I’m like a dog on a really long
chain attached to a dog house. Mostly I’m
happy to hang out in front of my house, play with my toys, and soak up the
sun. Life will be good for a while. I’ll forget I’m on the chain. Something I like will catch my eye. By the time I remember the chain, I’ve almost
broken my neck and I’m lying on my back gasping for air.”
He told me about his last binge. For almost a year he had avoided alcohol. He ran into an old friend who invited him to
party. Phil went on a ten day bender that almost cost
him his job and his marriage.
“The dog house is like reality,” he said. “The chain
is whatever enables me chase booze or coke, gambling or girls. Most times the chain is money. Sometimes it’s stored up vacation days, or my
wife’s faith that I’m really away on business.
When the chain runs out, I’m jerked back to reality. I’m in the dog house.” He asked me how he
could stay out of the dog house.
“You need to stop acting like a dog, chasing what you
don’t need,” I said. “You need to remember you’re human, and cherish
what you have.”
Today I will cherish what I have.
Writing My New Story © 2015 by Ken Montrose
(Just a reminder: Writing
My New Story is a work of fiction.
Any resemblance to anyone you might know is purely coincidental.)
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