Stress

Six months passed. I got a call at work from Cara’s attorney. She wanted to know if I’d be a character witness at Cara’s sentencing hearing. 

“We’d like you to talk about the stress in Cara’s life that made her drink,” the attorney said. Whatever stress Cara experienced, she mostly created herself, I thought. 

“Let me think about it,” I said.

“It could be the difference between twenty years in jail or ten. If she gets ten, Cara might be out in five with good behavior.”

So I thought about it. I couldn’t come up with a list of anybody I knew who led a completely stress-free life.  Looking online, I saw most people I knew struggled with something.  If drinking was the only way they coped with stress, they’d all be alcoholics.  The rehabs would be jammed, highways would be death traps, and not much would get done. 

I called the attorney back to say whatever stress Cara faced, she could have found another way to deal with it.  I wouldn’t be testifying.

Today I’ll find better ways to deal with stress.

Dogged Determination ©2018 & 2019 by Ken Montrose

Dogged Determination is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/