The little things.......

Well, today is a bit chilli with this cold snap and all but I'm doin ok. I've been fighting the flu bug for the last week and now I'm getting over it.But anywho, I'm gonna continue with my life story at the time I left PA.
As you already know I was drinking heavily at that time and started out hitchiking across this land,(after spending two months with the bottle in WV) looking for a place to "start again". Well, I ended up in the small town of Danville VA. The first thing I did was get settled in at the local bar. Then on Monday morning I set off in search of a job. I guess God was watching over me that day because I met a man who still sticks in my heart to this day. His name was Jim E. (I won't reveal his last name in case he would want to remain annonymous) I stopped this fellow on the street to ask where I could find the local unemployment office. He was a friendly enough fellow who instead of taking me to the unemployment office, took me to his place of employment. By the end of that day I had accomplished two things, I had a job and a place to stay. I was on my way with a new vigor and was going to build a great life for myself.
Aftyer about three weeks Jim saw how bad my drinking was and pulled what I consider to be one of the greatest tricks ever pulled on me. One evening after work he asked me if I was in any hurry to get home. "Not really", I lied.(what I really wanted to do was go get drunk) He said he had to stop off somewhere for about an hour or so.We walked into this nondescript little building on the main street of town where there were several people gathered drinking coffee and seeming to have a wonderful time just being there. "What is going on?",I wondered. Then someone said "I would like to call to order this meeting of alcoholics anonnymous." Why that low down dirty rascal. He tricked me into what would one day save my life. I went to a few meetings after that but the only thing that stuck with me was that there was someone who wanted to help and ask nothing in return!!! To me, this was unbelievable.That man is still in my heart today and I can only hope to be as much of an example to someone else someday as he was to me.

You see, to me it's the little things that matter in life. A nudge in the right direction, a smile, or just trying to get through to a hard headed twenty-four year old kid. Jim tried to help me in many ways while I was in that town but I guess I just wasn't ready yet.
Well, now that I'm on the way to getting my life straight I remember those people who tried to help me along the way and I thank God for them. I believe God puts people in our lives when we need them so we can learn from whoever they may be.

The little things.......

Well, today is a bit chilli with this cold snap and all but I'm doin ok. I've been fighting the flu bug for the last week and now I'm getting over it.But anywho, I'm gonna continue with my life story at the time I left PA.
As you already know I was drinking heavily at that time and started out hitchiking across this land,(after spending two months with the bottle in WV) looking for a place to "start again". Well, I ended up in the small town of Danville VA. The first thing I did was get settled in at the local bar. Then on Monday morning I set off in search of a job. I guess God was watching over me that day because I met a man who still sticks in my heart to this day. His name was Jim E. (I won't reveal his last name in case he would want to remain annonymous) I stopped this fellow on the street to ask where I could find the local unemployment office. He was a friendly enough fellow who instead of taking me to the unemployment office, took me to his place of employment. By the end of that day I had accomplished two things, I had a job and a place to stay. I was on my way with a new vigor and was going to build a great life for myself.
Aftyer about three weeks Jim saw how bad my drinking was and pulled what I consider to be one of the greatest tricks ever pulled on me. One evening after work he asked me if I was in any hurry to get home. "Not really", I lied.(what I really wanted to do was go get drunk) He said he had to stop off somewhere for about an hour or so.We walked into this nondescript little building on the main street of town where there were several people gathered drinking coffee and seeming to have a wonderful time just being there. "What is going on?",I wondered. Then someone said "I would like to call to order this meeting of alcoholics anonnymous." Why that low down dirty rascal. He tricked me into what would one day save my life. I went to a few meetings after that but the only thing that stuck with me was that there was someone who wanted to help and ask nothing in return!!! To me, this was unbelievable.That man is still in my heart today and I can only hope to be as much of an example to someone else someday as he was to me.

You see, to me it's the little things that matter in life. A nudge in the right direction, a smile, or just trying to get through to a hard headed twenty-four year old kid. Jim tried to help me in many ways while I was in that town but I guess I just wasn't ready yet.
Well, now that I'm on the way to getting my life straight I remember those people who tried to help me along the way and I thank God for them. I believe God puts people in our lives when we need them so we can learn from whoever they may be.

Driving Record......

It seems to me, lately some people want to know why I'm not able to drive a motor vehicle. Well here goes:
I was never allowed to get a license when I was a teen. I had asked my father to help but he just said no and that was it. I went to some other family members but there was always an excuse, the car wouldn't pass the inspection, they didn't have time, couldn't get off work, always some excuse or another. So when I was nineteen years old in PA, I bought a car and drove it anyway. I had to work and couldn't get anyone to commit to driving me to and from. Well, two days later I was pulled over coming home from work for a dead inspection sticker. That one cost me three hundred dollars. The cop also had my car impounded.After that when I went back to WV and found out my Dad had helped my older Brother get a license. I thought maybe he would help me too. Wrong. Things were still the same as they were before. He wouldn't even try to help. He said I didn't need a license cause I didn't have a car. So I just went back to trying to live without one. I ended up hitchiking to VA to try to start a life for myself. After about a month of driving I was caught again. I tried to explain to the cop why I didn't have a license but he said he had to give me the tickets anyway. I felt like I just couldn't win. I ended up losing my job for not having a license.
After that I set out on the road again and ended up in SC. Greenville to be exact. I stayed there for a while but couldn't get a job and keep it long enough to amount to anything because of the whole license thing. I bounced around the country after that untill I met my x-wife in 1997. For a while she would take me back and forth to work and I managed to stay stable for a little while. by then though, my drinking was out of control again. I was mad at the world for the hand I had been given and I just didn't care anymore. But that's another story in itself.
Anyway, when I found out my daughter was on the way, I once again approached my father. This time I came with a good reason. I explained to him that if I was going to support my new baby I needed a license to be able to get a decent job and keep it. Things were stiil the the same, he was just not going to do anything to help me get my life started. This spurned more hatred towards my brother at that time and I turned to my long time friend, "alcohol".
Finally I was caught driving again when my wife wasn't feeling well and I drove to work myself. The cop let me bring her back to get the car instead of impounding it. But I still had a fifteen hundred dollar fine added to the others. It was hard to save money on a one income budget so I just let the fines go for a year untill we got our income tax and I paid eleven hundred dollars to the state of SC and only needed one thousand more to finish paying them off.
Well, the very next summer I got caught again and this time they fined me thirtyfive hundred dollars and towed our car. I began to slip into a very deep depression. Here I was wiyh a baby to raise but couldn't get ahead because I didn't have a license.
Anyway, I hope that will answer that question for everyone. It will now cost close to five thousand dollars for me to be able to get my license reinstated. I have the faith that God will provide a way for me to do that and I will get it in His time. God has told me through His word that He will take care of me no matter what ( Jerimiah 29:11) as long as I stick with Him!!! As long as I have faith I can accomplish anything.