Alcoholism and recovery? How did my book wind up in this genre? To make a long story short…
I began writing poetry as a teenager in the late sixties after a tragic event triggered depression and PTSD that went unrecognized for decades. Unbeknownst to me, it served as a spiritual release valve that let my unwanted feelings seep out. Alcohol was discovered when I was sixteen, and life veered into a new, seemingly friendly direction; soon writing was set aside for more exciting things.
I always liked things that made me feel good. I never said, ‘Ohhh, that felt really good—I‘ll never do that again.’ When someone would see me ‘out of it’, they’d insist, “Don’t worry, he’s just drunk.” Another more concerned voice would reply, “Oh, thank God, I thought he was on drugs.”
However, alcoholism lurked in the family tree, and drinking became a problem before you could say ‘Boonesfarm Apple Wine’. On semi-professional advice from hippie-type friends, drugs were suggested as a viable alternative. It was the early Seventies, an era where a book of zigzags, a roach clip and a pair of cheap sunglasses were like standard equipment, man. I got way-cool. In retrospect, if I was drinking right, maybe I wouldn’t have used drugs right away. I think the drugs held me still so alcohol could beat the hell out of me. It just took longer for me.
After sixteen continuous years of trying to find relief through better living through chemistry, I failed and celebrated New Year’s Eve in a Detox unit in 1986. I was a mess, but I was going to get another chance at life. However, there was a lot to learn…
Written for people in recovery, Spiritual Geometry 101– Crooked Lines is a collection of stories that follows my eventful journey into sobriety. They are rooted in experiences that were life-changing, people who were memorable and miracles I wanted to keep alive. It is not a professional look at the disease or the recovery process, but rather, a book to enjoy reading and to find some hope. There are twenty memorable stories– about the flipside of drinking dreams, my peculiar twelfth step call, which I did get sideways, my second-rate coffee-making skills gone wrong, and a near miss working with another alcoholic. A piece of pie that nearly got me drunk also gets served, along with a chalkboard created by grace. My Detox experience was remarkable, my VCR was profound and a futuristic awards ceremony was slightly controversial. Several poems written in recovery are included at the end of the book. It’s often comical, a little irreverent and hopefully eye-opening. A reminder not to take ourselves so seriously.
It can be purchased HERE
and on amazon kindle HERE
