About

I would like to introduce myself. I am a 43 year old mechanic, a two service veteran, former EMT and former volunteer firefighter. For many years I struggled with drinking, and depression. It was not until I recalled the wise advice of my "grandfather" that I decided to make the changes in my life that have lead me to where I am now.

His sage advice? Let me begin by taking you back to 1988, where, after separating from the Navy, I was feeling a bit cheated by life. I felt that after serving my country I should have been in a higher station of life. As this self imposed victim mentality wore on me, I sank into a deep depression. I started drinking VERY heavily, and bouncing from job to job only made this worse. The days all began to run together, and I struggled to start at the "top of the ladder" by virtue of my military experience. The more I was rejected, the worse it became for me. Drinking, fighting, depression, a vicious cycle. When I had finally reached the bottom, I thought I was bound for a stay in the county jail.

 I was arrested for simple assault following an all nighter of bar hopping and gulping handfuls of anti-depressants. My "grandfather" came and posted my bail and drove me home. The tears in his eyes as we rode silently back to my dingy one bedroom apartment made me shudder. When we arrived he walked me in to make sure I was going to be ok. I sat down on my bed and he asked me why I was so angry at the world. I launched into a verbal assault on every person, every employer, and every authority figure I had come in contact with since leaving the service. My anger at not feeling appreciated, not needed.

 My rampage ended with the words " I'll never be able to hold a job, I'd be better off digging ditches!". To which he calmly replied "You know, the world needs ditch diggers too". This simple piece of advice was a solid slap to my dignity. I had never thought about what the world needed, only what I thought I needed. On February 11, 2004 I quit drinking. I rededicated my life to doing what was needed for the larger community.