Careful What You Wish For Re-post Maybe you've heard [or said] this before, "No matter what I do, the drugs always find me!" Yes, that's precisely what happens, and exactly how it works. Even if the addict stays away from the people from their past, and if they avoid creating new relationships with drug users, … Continue reading Careful What You Wish For [Re-post From October 2019]
Category: Self Inventory
Pictured: Fishing with my Son. Following twelve months of planning and preparation, I moved to Texas three weeks ago. Following more than 30 years of Denver residency, I didn't hesitate to surrender my Colorado Driver's License for a Texas Driver's License. That's right, I have become a Texan. I already have my Texas Fishing License … Continue reading It’s Official . . . I’m A Texan
Prelude: It's important to remember that I wrote this more than 18 months ago. The experience took place several years before that time. Yes, I realize this piece may sound . . . a little odd. 😊 Part II Recap: Even if I had known what was going to happen, I could not have prepared … Continue reading Journals [Embracing The Universe Part III, Choosing Ignorance Over Crazy]
Re-posted From August, 2020. As a child, my mother [single parent] implied that all things were possible. Nothing was off the table, and from a young age, I endorsed the fantastic as validated reality. All of that changed during my twenties when I became a professional and started wearing a tie. Suddenly, I decided that … Continue reading Journals [Embracing The Universe Part II Speaking The Words]
Re-posted From August, 2020 When everything is stripped away from someone's life, the individual has but few options. By [everything], I'm referring to losing it all, and having little or no money and resources besides a couple of changes of clothes, and a pack of worldly possessions. A little more than five years ago I … Continue reading Journals [Embracing The Universe Part I]
If we live a life of truth and reality, nobody can hurt our feelings. If we're already aware of our personal issues and shortcomings, nobody can hurt our feelings. If we've already owned all of our shit, then there are no surprises. Joseph Shanklin January 2, 2022
The countdown continues. In two days, I'll board an airplane to Texas once more. Unlike the previous 16 trips I've taken in the past 14 months, this ticket is not a roundtrip flight. Why would I return to Colorado if everything I want and need in Texas. Except for a few members of our family, … Continue reading Preparing To Turn The Page
The following was copied from my column. I write for a local treatment newsletter. Close your eyes and allow your mind to scroll back to the past, back to the world of drugs and crime. Whether last month or last year, let's journey back to the inescapable emptiness of getting high. Do you have such … Continue reading Acquiesce To Recovery
Last week while on patrol, I rolled up on a small car parked on the shoulder. The hood was up, and the driver was walking around and talking on his cellphone. After a short conversation, I discovered the vehicle stalled out while driving, so he'd pulled over to the shoulder. Unfortunately, the man locked his … Continue reading Morning Sledgehammer Scare
In my endless need for education and self-improvement, I spent last Saturday and $200 attending a Forklift Certification Class. It's official; I can now operate a Sit-down Forklift without running over anyone. Well, at least without squishing any small orange cones. Whether or not I can avoid mashing someone with a 7500-pound machine, accidentally or … Continue reading Always A Miracle Happening Somewhere
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