Committed To Success
"He conquers who endures." - Persius
Her smile, that was the first thing that struck me. She seemed so happy to see me. It was like I had something to give her. She opened the door of my taxi as if she knew me, and she was glad to see me again. She didn't have any luggage, just a box with no cover on it, but you could tell it was her clothes. She gently laid the box and a small backpack on the back seat of my car and as she settled in the front seat she said "I hope you can help me, I don't exactly know where I am supposed to go."
What I am about to tell you did happen. While I was working this past Friday night, December 22, 2006, I was dispatched to the Student Centre at Memorial University for a fare. When I got there, this young lady, 25-26 years old was waiting for me. It had been an hour since she had gotten off the DRL bus and because the Student Centre was closed for the holidays and she couldn't get her cellphone to work, she had to wait for someone to pass by before she could call a cab. She told me she wasn't certain where she was supposed to be going, it was the Detox Centre she said, they know I am coming. I told her it sounded like the Recovery Centre, she was okay with that and we were on our way.
During our short trip she told me she was a student at the Community College in Stephenville. She was training to be a cook and so far she was doing quite well, with a 95 average. She then told me that she was an alcoholic and she had been since her early teens. "I don't want to go home for Christmas" she said, "I really want to finish my program and become a cook, and if I go home I am afraid that I might drink again. I didn't want to come all the way across the province to St. John's, but the folks at the College didn't want me to be alone on Campus for the holidays. So it is better for me to come here and be with strangers than to go home and risk losing all that I have gained". All of this was related to me with a smile. She seemed so content with her lot in life and whatever it took to succeed, she was going to do it. When we got to the Recovery Centre, I told her that before she took her things out of the car, to ring the doorbell and make sure they have a spot for you. She spoke to the girl at the door and with a huge smile on her face she came bounding down over the steps to tell me "they were waiting for me, they knew I was coming."
If my commitment to my recovery could only be that strong. I try harder than before, but I have a feeling that if I had been in her shoes, I would have went home and taken the risk. For most addicts that is the problem. We want it to be easy. We want the quick fix. We want everybody to love us, forgive us and reward us. It took years to destroy our lives and it will take years to repair our lives. Along the way we are going to have to make some very tough choices. Choices that over the long haul will make us stronger, but in the short-term they will be very difficult. Having said that, I think that deciding not to go home for Christmas and be with your family and friends, that is a choice that very few of us could make.
Here I am, sitting in the comfort of my home on Christmas Eve, thankful for everything I have in my life. I can't help but think that just a few miles away, a young girl is lying on her pillow, thankful for everything she has in her life. How do I know? Her smile told me so.
Merry Christmas little girl, what a great cook your going to be!!!!!!!!!
Her smile, that was the first thing that struck me. She seemed so happy to see me. It was like I had something to give her. She opened the door of my taxi as if she knew me, and she was glad to see me again. She didn't have any luggage, just a box with no cover on it, but you could tell it was her clothes. She gently laid the box and a small backpack on the back seat of my car and as she settled in the front seat she said "I hope you can help me, I don't exactly know where I am supposed to go."
What I am about to tell you did happen. While I was working this past Friday night, December 22, 2006, I was dispatched to the Student Centre at Memorial University for a fare. When I got there, this young lady, 25-26 years old was waiting for me. It had been an hour since she had gotten off the DRL bus and because the Student Centre was closed for the holidays and she couldn't get her cellphone to work, she had to wait for someone to pass by before she could call a cab. She told me she wasn't certain where she was supposed to be going, it was the Detox Centre she said, they know I am coming. I told her it sounded like the Recovery Centre, she was okay with that and we were on our way.
During our short trip she told me she was a student at the Community College in Stephenville. She was training to be a cook and so far she was doing quite well, with a 95 average. She then told me that she was an alcoholic and she had been since her early teens. "I don't want to go home for Christmas" she said, "I really want to finish my program and become a cook, and if I go home I am afraid that I might drink again. I didn't want to come all the way across the province to St. John's, but the folks at the College didn't want me to be alone on Campus for the holidays. So it is better for me to come here and be with strangers than to go home and risk losing all that I have gained". All of this was related to me with a smile. She seemed so content with her lot in life and whatever it took to succeed, she was going to do it. When we got to the Recovery Centre, I told her that before she took her things out of the car, to ring the doorbell and make sure they have a spot for you. She spoke to the girl at the door and with a huge smile on her face she came bounding down over the steps to tell me "they were waiting for me, they knew I was coming."
If my commitment to my recovery could only be that strong. I try harder than before, but I have a feeling that if I had been in her shoes, I would have went home and taken the risk. For most addicts that is the problem. We want it to be easy. We want the quick fix. We want everybody to love us, forgive us and reward us. It took years to destroy our lives and it will take years to repair our lives. Along the way we are going to have to make some very tough choices. Choices that over the long haul will make us stronger, but in the short-term they will be very difficult. Having said that, I think that deciding not to go home for Christmas and be with your family and friends, that is a choice that very few of us could make.
Here I am, sitting in the comfort of my home on Christmas Eve, thankful for everything I have in my life. I can't help but think that just a few miles away, a young girl is lying on her pillow, thankful for everything she has in her life. How do I know? Her smile told me so.
Merry Christmas little girl, what a great cook your going to be!!!!!!!!!
posted by Taximan at 11:42 PM
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