30. Who’s to Blame for That Sinking Feeling?

The next day Terrence needed a urine drug screen.  As I got the paperwork ready, he shared a little of his story.

“I never abused the medications,” he said.  “I was in a lot of pain, and I took them as prescribed.  After I realized I was hooked, I spent a lot of time trying to decide whose fault it was.”

“What did you decide?” I asked.

“If you’re a marine, on a sinking ship, it does you no good to curse the Navy.  It’s too late to ask yourself why you didn’t join the Air Force. I decided rehab was my life raft, and it was time to forget about blame.”

“You’re a wise man, Terrence,” I said. “I couldn’t tell you all the people I’ve seen sink while they looked for someone to blame.  Kids running amok while parents blamed each other.  Businesses failing while people cursed the economy rather than dealing with the problem.   The list goes on.”

Today I will set aside blame to deal with the issues at hand.

Sober Not Somber © 2015 by Ken Montrose

(Just a reminder: Sober Not Somber is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to anyone you might know is purely coincidental.)