Importance Of Postponement In My Life

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My life’s journey as taken me to many places, and exposed me to a multitude of experiences. These life experiences have taught me the power of helping others, and the immeasurable satisfaction gained from doing so. Upon graduation from high school I attended Morris Brown College for two years, to pursue a bachelor’s degree, but decided to “postpone” those plans to figure out what exactly I wanted to do with my life. Little did I know this postponement would be 25-years. My career began once I left college, and started working for Days Inn Corporate
Headquarters (Atlanta, Ga.) as a reservationist, and travel planner. It was during this time that I began experimenting with drugs. At first, it was light, recreational …show more content…

Once in, I ate, and took food for later. On the way out I’d grab a USA Today, or other periodical from the front desk counter, and go on my way. Street activity doesn’t start until late morning/early afternoon, so I’d go to the library to read, and get on the computer for some internet browsing. Usually I’d run into a friend, who was also on the streets, and we might go out a find a place serving lunch. At other times I would eat the food I took from the hotel that morning, and spend the afternoon at the library. On the days I wasn’t doing drugs, I’d stay at the library until they closed, venturing out just for meals. But, most days were spent hanging out, and getting into mischief. Drug addiction is powerful (particularly crack cocaine addiction), and most days are spent looking for “opportunities” to make some money to buy drugs. Opportunities on the streets come in different ways. A popular way is shoplifting. Steal merchandise, and sell it to people in …show more content…

Over the 15-years, I had tried to “quit” doing drugs several times. I’d stop using, get a job, find a decent place to live, and be on the straight and narrow for a few months. But, what I didn’t realize was the addiction was still there, lurking in the background, waiting for the right set of circumstances to come from the shadows. Usually those circumstances were someone from my street past reinserting themselves in my straight life.
Whether it be a guy friend I’d known from the streets, or a formal girlfriend, I’d find myself drawn back into the life. Job gone. Place gone. I would be right back in the cycle I mentioned above. But, something different happen the last time I lost my sobriety, sure I lost my place again, and I was back on the streets, but I didn’t gravitate back to the people whom I spent 15 years with. Instead I kept to myself, went to the library to browse the internet for daily employment, slept in an abandon apartment, and saved what little money I made. After 6-months of this routine I had enough money to get a nice apartment. And as they say…. the rest is history. People always ask me, once they have heard my story… how did you stop? You didn’t

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