Sharing My Life Lesson

My Story

As I would like to become a drug and alcohol counselor for teenagers that are using, I have an ultimate need to help others. In 2004, I had an idea to help out a women's recovery house. They house and help women get off drugs and alcohol and help them learn to re-enter society as clean, sober and productive women. They help with parenting issues that these women may have.

My Steps

I decided that it must take a lot of despair to go there. I came up with the idea of making fliers and putting an ad in the local newspaper for people to donate their unwanted and unneeded items for a garage sale. I ended up with a semi-trailer full of all sorts of different things. I had a garage sale, and it rained the whole weekend, but because it was for a good cause, I stayed pretty busy. A reporter from our local paper came and talked to me and took a picture of me and my daughter. After the sale was over and I did a final count, we ended up with almost $400. It was such a rewarding feeling when I gave the money to the woman who founded and ran the house. I was so moved that I actually had helped someone possibly start a new life that it moved me to tears. That money was enough to house a person with or without their children for one month.

A friend and I have also started up a women's Narcotics Anonymous meeting, a place for women to share their concerns, stories and their need to remain clean. I sponsor a couple women and have helped one of them get her children back, because she realized that when using, she did not care about herself so how could she care about them. I am proud of her, as much as I am of myself.

At one time I was addicted to drugs and alcohol. It is very hard to get to recovery and remain there. I did it on my own, and I am still clean. I still help people with the disease of addiction. I speak at our county's Victim's Impact Panel. It shows films of accidents of people who were drinking and driving, and speakers like me that had some bad experiences with drinking and driving. It is not easy to get up in front of a bunch of strangers and tell them my past. What inspired me to help others like this? While drinking and driving I hit a man on a bicycle. It can happen to anyone, at any time. You might even be sober and it can happen. It's with me every day, and I will not ever forgive myself for what I had done. But, if my past experience with drinking and driving can help just one person, then I know that I have done well. I have had many people come to me after my speech, and they say what guts and courage I must have to speak there. I tell them no, it's God's duty for me to help others.

Me Now

I love my life. I am married now, have been for 6 months, I have a wonderful daughter and even my pets are well behaved and so loving. I thank God for saving my life and letting me live. I have a successful career which I love. Not many people even like their job, but I love mine. I feel my life has turned completely around since I have quit using mind-altering chemicals. I hope this may help someone else to know that drugs will only bring you death, insanity or prison.