Novella

 

Try, Try, Try Again

“You’ve been staring at that laptop for fifteen minutes,” Dr. Deb said as we sat on the couch.

“Has it been that long?”

“At least.”

I sighed. “The first chapter of the novella reads like a short-story. The smart thing to do would be to submit it to a magazine.”

“So why don’t you?”

“Because there’s a good chance it will be rejected everywhere I send it.”

“But if you don’t submit, there’s no chance you’ll get published.”

She had a point.

“But,” I started to say, drawing a blank.  

“And if you hadn’t risked rejection, you never would have asked me out.”

“I knew you were going to say yes,” I said, knowing that wasn’t quite the truth.

Her eyes didn’t roll out of her head, but it was close. It had taken me months to work up the courage to approach her.

“Even though you knew getting sober was going to be a struggle, you tried. If you hadn’t, where would you be right now?”

I got her point. You have to at least try.

 

Today I will try.

 

Novella 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Novella

 

Toad You So

The next day I was at the gym. I looked into the steam room. Empty. 

I sat down, shut my eyes, and smiled, relishing the quiet.

I heard the door open.  I looked up, hoping it wasn’t Toad. Of course, it was.

Toad, I didn’t know his real name, liked to talk, but never seemed to listen. He always seemed to show up when I most wanted to sit quietly with my own thoughts.

We sat in silence for a minute.

“You know what the hardest part of changing anything is?” he asked.

“Being patient with your progress,” I said.

“No. It’s being patient with your progress.”  

Knowing he hadn’t heard what I’d just said made tuning him out much easier. I let him ramble on and on as I thought about changes that take time.

Eating healthier doesn’t change your physique overnight.

Sometimes you have to set boundaries for other people again and again before they respect them.

Getting in shape can be a slow process.

People who stay sober are the ones who learn over time to be comfortable without alcohol. Like the slogan says, Time Takes Time.

The trick was to be patient with your progress.

 

Today I will be patient with my progress.

 

Novella 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Novella

 

Play the Tape Through

I moved to my bed, sitting upright on top of the covers, laptop resting on my thighs. The dog had followed me onto the bed.

“I’m gonna slide under the covers,” I said. “Not the whole way, just my up to my knees.” 

The dog looked skeptical. She didn’t need to remind me I had a hard time staying awake once I slid under the blankets.

I knew what she was thinking – ‘Play the Tape Through,’ a slogan that suggested predicting what would happen this time based on what happened before.

Suppose you got blind drunk the last three times you planned to have a beer or two. The next time you went out for a couple of drinks, you’d be wise to Play the Tape Through first.   You’d recognize there was a strong possibility you were kidding yourself and would wind up drunk again.

“This is different,” I said to the dog. “I’m really excited about writing this. I’ll stay up.”

Sometime during the night I woke up. Dr. Deb had put my laptop away. The dog stirred, and looked at me with a canine ‘I told you so’ face.

Today I’ll play the tape through.

 

Novella 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Kidding Yourself

Dr. Deb sat down next to me.  “Ooh, that shirt stinks,” she said, grimacing.

“It’s a workout shirt,” I said. “You’ll notice I’m wearing running shorts. Plan to hit the exercise bike before we go to bed.”

Dr. Deb laughed. “You know you’re kidding yourself, right? When bedtime rolls around you’ll be too tired.”

I started to argue, but deep down knew she might be right. I thought of other times people I’d known had been kidding themselves.

A friend had told me he was going to look at a classic motorcycle just to see it.  He wasn’t going to buy another bike. His wife would kill him. At least he got to keep it after the divorce.

A guy I knew had said he thought he was more entrepreneur than drug-dealer. The judge had told him he’d been kidding himself, and sent him away for seven years.

Long ago I had stopped kidding myself about what would happen if I decided to have ‘a beer or two.’ Life has been better ever since.

Today I won’t kid myself.

Fawlty Showers 2 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Put Off

“What are you laughing about?” Dr. Deb asked as we sat on the couch watching TV.  

“Lenny,” I said. “That character’s name is Lenny.”

Dr. Deb rolled her eyes, “Well that explains it. Lenny.”

“Lenny was an oldtimer who said he stayed sober through procrastination.”

I did my best Lenny imitation. “Tomorrow I might get drunk, cheat on the wife, cause a ten-car pile-up, maybe fight with the cops.  Today I’m not gonna do anything stupid.”

“That worked for him?”

“He had forty years sober when he died.  Married for forty-two.  Drove a 30-year-old Cadillac without a scratch on it.”

 

Today I’ll put off being stupid

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Pathfinding

As the meeting started, I stared into my coffee and thought about Epiphany’s situation. I smiled. “Pathfinding,” I muttered.

“Pitt funding?” Epiphany asked.

“Pathfinding,” I said. “Pathfinding is when you go down a different path. If that doesn’t work you try another. You’re pathfinding.”

“Wasn’t I pathfinding with all the guys I dated before?”

“Maybe. But it sounds more like you walked the same path again and again, just with different companions.”

Epiphany frowned. “Every relationship I had started in a bar, centered around drinking, and ended with a text.  This is a new path for me.”

“Smile, a new path takes you somewhere, going in circles just wears you out.”

 

Today I’ll try something new, and do a little pathfinding.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

Fawlty Showers 2

From This Day Forward

After group the older man came to my office. He put DD on his lap and scratched him between the ears. We sat in silence for a long moment.

Finally, he said, “My company has done some awful things. I’ve signed off on shady projects, knowing I should try to stop them. A lot of my drinking is me drowning my conscience.”

“We were talking about slogans and sayings in group,” I said. “One of my favorites is ‘from this day forward.’  On any given day you can decide to make a change.”

Another long silence ensued. He seemed to be a thoughtful man drowning in regret.

“Won’t be easy,” he said, “but I guess any day can be the first day of ‘from this day forward.’ Seems like a blessing.”

“From this day forward,” I said. “Stop drinking, follow your conscience.”

When he left my office I wondered if I needed to change something from that day forward.

 

Today will be the first day of ‘from this day forward.’

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S 

Fawlty Showers 2

Granted

When I got home, Dr. Deb was in the kitchen, making her lunch for the next day. I hugged her tight, holding her a long moment, and then another.

“Sad meeting?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said.

“Feeling guilty about something?”

“Wouldn’t admit it if I was.”

Dr. Deb said, “Weasel. Are you just letting me know you love me?”

I shrugged. “Eh, maybe, I guess you’re alright.”

She poked me in the chest with two fingers. I laughed.

“I wanted to let you know I never take you for granted,” I said. She hugged me. “Thought I’d tell you when times were good. I didn’t want you to think I was just saying it because I needed something.”

“Like my forgiveness for whatever you’re feeling guilty about?” she said, pretending to be suspicious.

I snorted and smiled. “You got me. The body’s buried in back. I need you to tell the police I was with you all night.”

Today I make sure someone knows I don’t take them for granted.

 

Fawlty Showers II 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

•             https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Fawlty Showers

Good Influence

Dana and I were having lunch in the break room when she said, “Do you notice how Colin and Beth have gotten Abigail to lighten up?”

“Never sure how she worked that magic, or what they have in common,” I said, “but Abigail is a different person when she’s around Beth.”

“Some people change because of something they’ve read,” Dana said, “but I think most people change because of someone else’s influence.”

“I gotta be grateful for the people who’ve had a positive influence on me.”

“I’m grateful for the Pennsylvania State Legislature. They’ve given me hope.  They wrote a law that says when The Princess turns 18, I’m no longer responsible for her upkeep.”

I laughed, but Dana only smiled over her coffee cup.

Today I’ll be grateful for the people who’ve had a positive influence on me.

 

Fawlty Showers 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/
 

Fawlty Showers

Stacking Up Right Decisions

I said to Dana, “While you’re here, probably stalking me, help me write this article on how people change.”

Dana said, “If you know what the right decision is, change is all about stacking up right decisions.” 

“Like how?”

“So far today I had oatmeal at home instead of a fast food breakfast sandwich. I packed a healthy lunch. I walked with Katy after we ate.”

“So what if you make a wrong decision?” 

 “I’ll try to get back to making the right decisions, see how many in a row I can stack up.”

Today I will make the next right decision.

Fawlty Showers 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S 

• https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

 

Fawlty Showers

Progress

After group I got a text from Semi-Colin. His wife Beth had agreed to take the cat and the ferret.

I breathed a big sigh of relief. Halfway home, I just needed to convince my colleagues to give up Cuddles and MA.

My mood darkened remembering our last staff meeting. Katy was on board with finding a home for the animals, but Abigail and Randy opposed the idea. Dana was fixated on sterilizing her daughter’s boyfriend, and didn’t seem to have an opinion. 

“No, I’m gonna take a moment and appreciate the progress I’ve made,” I said to my laptop. “If you wanted to lose twenty pounds and lost ten, you’d celebrate that progress.  If you made it halfway through a training program or college, you’d celebrate your progress.”

I hadn’t noticed Dana the intern standing in the door. “If you only talked to yourself in private, you might consider that progress, but…”

Today I’ll focus on the progress I’ve made so far.

 

Fawlty Showers 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

 Fawlty Showers

Pick Your Battles

Semi-Colin texted me he’d love to take the ferret, but maybe not the thug cat. I texted they were a package deal. He texted he’d talk to his wife.

The next day I told my colleagues about finding MA and Cuddles a home. They weren’t thrilled.

They thought we should fight to the death to keep them. Abigail pointed out I was supposed to be mounting a media campaign to stir up public support.

“Sometimes you pick your battles,” I said. “I can’t guarantee they won’t be dragged off to an animal shelter, so I’d rather place them in a good home.”

 “Maybe you’re right about picking your battles,” Katy said. “I can’t make my mother go to the retirement home so I visit her every other day.”

 “I’d like to have my daughter’s dimwit boyfriend fixed,” Dana said. She made a snipping motion with her fingers in the air. We waited, but she didn’t say what she could do instead.

 

Today I will pick my battles.

 

Fawlty Showers 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.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/