The phone rang. Somebody wanted to schedule a training. She gave me a brief history of the conference and what they needed from me. We agreed on a time. In ten minutes we exchanged all the pertinent information.
Two hours later the phone rang again. The caller sounded like a scared young man. He had a list of questions about rehab and getting clean. Each question was a signpost to one of his fears. Being a young man, he didn't want to admit being afraid, so he wrapped every question in a lengthy, rambling, explanation of why he was asking. He frequently contradicted himself, and I suspected he had large gaps in his memory. The conversation was frustrating, to say the least.
After almost an hour on the phone, I finally knew enough to say, "Of course you're scared, but get help anyway, today before you change your mind. I'm going to transfer you to Ms. Rella who will get you started."
He said he wasn't scared, didn't really need help today, but would talk to Ms. Rella anyway. At that point I was glad I'd listened.
Today I will try to listen to people who have trouble telling their story.
Sober Not Somber (c) 2015, 2016 by Ken Montrose
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