MarianJack
MarianJack's JournalSomething small happened today that I feel very good about.
My current job is to go to the homes and apartments of mentally ill people and help them with their daily living skills. Today, as I arrived a few minutes early at the apartment of one of my clients, I was gathering my things to go in. As I was doing this, a young woman was walking by on the sidewalk. When she saw me, she came into the street to my driver's side window and signaled me to roll down. I thought she was going to accuse me of checking her out (which I wasnt). Instead she asked for directions to a particular address that she identified as a recovery center. I gave her directions and she went to her car, which was a couple of spaces behind me.
I got out and approached her, told her that my name is Jack, and asked (politely and diplomatically) if she, as I, is an addicted person. She said that she is. She stated that she finally decided that it was time for her to do this. I shared with her that I've been in recovery for 23+ years. I told her that as bad as she feels today, that she's doing the right thing and that it WILL get better. I told her that someday, she'd likely be saying the same things to someone else what I said to her today.
She smiled a mile wide. We said our goodbyes and she tooted her horn to me as she was pulling away. I'd never seen her before and I'll likely never see her again, but I feel so good to see that a young woman, who may not have even been born yet (or at least was very little) when I went into recovery, has decided that she was going to take her first step today and that I got the chance to be a minute part of it!
Please allow me to ad that if anyone here is struggling with an addiction, and if you fear the difficulty of the choice to go into recovery, than it WILL get better and it WILL be worth it! I promise you that the wonderful woman who married me almost 15 years ago wouldn't have pissed on me when I was an active drunk and I wouldn't have deserved it. BUT, it IS a disease that you CAN put into remision one day at a time.
Thank you for letting me share. That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that.
PEACE!
Earlier tonight, another DUer apologized for a "hidden by jury" post. A few thoughts...
...about that action of great integrity and candor.
In this site, I am not, haven't been and will never be a bomb-thrower. In almost 10 years here, I have been in exactly ONE flame war. I will admit that the person with whom I had that exchange is not my favorit person here. However, I have only 6 people on my ignore list and that person isn't one of them. I go out of my way to be civil, even when in disagreement and I avoid the most contentious threads with a pasion.
I've had 3 posts hidden by jury or deleted by the moderators since I've been here. 2 were OPs in the old DU and 1 hidden by jury here. The 2 ops were about the rather easy virtue of george w shithead"s spawn and the other was an inappropriate comment about an alleged lack of grace when I saw an old video of Natalee Halloway in a cheerleader routine. The post that was hidden by jury was one where I used an inappropriate term or 2 about the wicked witch of the west (AKA Jam Brewer).
I agree that the post about george w shithead's daughters was out of bounds, not because I have anything even remotely resembling an iota of respect for them, but because I believe that the children are off limits in a political debate. That was made difficult becaue of sarah palin(comparison)'s kids and the entire romney family.
I was wrong with the Natalee Halloway post because she was a CHILD who went on a vacation to have fun and was (most likely) murdered by a rich little shit who seems to portray a romneyesque attitude of entitlement. I think he probably thought he had a right to kill her.
In each of these cases, I should have heeded my mom's old advice of "weigh it before you say it".
I guess that my point is that we all are human and we all make mistakes now and again. I am nowhere near stupid enough to say I won't do something that I regret again.
That's my 2 cents, and quite probably overpriced at that!
Bob Newhart taught me how to hunt.
Let me preface by saying that I have no problem with law abiding people who like to hunt by the rules. I, however, would probably shoot all of my toes off with my first 10 bullets and I DREAD what I'd hit with the 11th!
Way back in the 70s, in an episode of "The Bob Newhart Show", Bob and his wife (the late great Suzanne Pleshette) were disagreeing over weather he could survive in the wilderness. He finally asked if she was going to fix dinner and she said "OK, Daniel Boone, you kill it and I'll cook it". He then opened the freezer door, pointed his finger like he was holding a pistol and said "BANG", then turned to his wife and said "I just shot a roast". I practically peed my roughly 17 year old pants.
Even today, sometimes when my wife and I are grocery shopping and I'm in one of my frequent flaky moods, I'll be in the meat section and go "bang, I just shot some ground beef" or whatever we're picking up.
Again, people who hunt and do it the legal way are people with whom I have no problem. Up here in Maine, we know a few families who go hunting and use their kills for most of their meat for the year by having it processed and keping it in freezer in the basement in the cellar. If I had to hunt my meat myself I'd likely be a vegetarian.
That's my 2 cents and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
I had a very great and very special anniversary yesterday, and...
...I completely forgot about it! I feel like a bit of a doofus.
Yesterday, January 14, was my 23rd anniversayr of sobriety. I'm not looking for kudos at all. I'm jist happy that it's been this long (and not even close to always being easy).
Thank you for allowing me to share.
PEACE!
An "Out of the Mouths of Babes" MLK Day story.
Some of the names are changed since I didn't get the permission of all involved to write about this on the web.
As many of you know, my wife and I are adoptive parents of a wonderful 12 year old boy who became a part of our family as a 3 1/2 month old infant. I'm white, my wife Puerto Rican and our son is African American. I'm Jack, my wife is Maria (hence the screen name "MarianJack"
and our son is Jonathan.
The fictionally named individuals are my wife's co-worker Leigh, her son Harry (about 8) and her daughter Susie (about 5).
Back in November, shortly before Thanksgiving, They were over to our house for a "Pampered Chef" party. Harry disappeared into Jonathan's room to play video games, Susie played with our cats ( who just LOVED her) Leigh was at the demonstration and a good time was had by all. BTW, no shooting video games, so the NRA would hate this story!
Just this past weekend, Leigh was with her kids at another friend's place. This friend also has a son named Jonathan and Harry played video games with him. When they got home, Harry told Leigh that he'd like to go play video games with Jonathan again real soon. When Leigh said that they were just there, Harry said "No mom, I mean BROWN Jonathan", my son.
He then said, "You know mom, Because of Dr. Martin Luther King, it's ok for me to be friends with brown Jonathan"
I believe that almost 45 years after Dr. King's Death and with Coretta also no longer with us, I believe that they must be looking down from Heaven and smiling tonight. My wife and I certainly are. We are also very touched that even a little guy like Harry can see what a great kid that our son, "brown Jonathan", is. Maybe a visit is not too far in the future.
I just wanted to share a warm and positive story that hopefully won't get lost in all of the threads about stupid and moronic teabaggers, republican congress people and NRA gun loons. It's my 2 cents and quite possibly overpriced at that.
PEACE!
Remember the aftermath of the Tuscon shootings?
Gabby Giffords was shot, many other people were killed (including a Federal Judge and a little girl who had been born on 9/11) and wounded, Gabby had had a terget sign posted on her face on sarah palin(comparison)'s website...
...and a few days later sarah palin(comparison) declared herself a victim? 
What a total un mirigated ass that woman is!
BTW, the reason I refer to her as sarah palin(comparison) is because the day tht john mcsame chose her over willard romney to be his running mate in 2008, she statred to draw very favorable parallels between herself and Hillary Clinton, again, that woman is a TOTAL ASS!!
PEACE! 
Senator Amy Klobuchar...
...ia now following me on twitter! 
Of course, I've been following her for a while now, but I'm psyched that someone that I think so highly of is now following me! 
As we said in the 80's "Cool Beans". In the 70s it was "Far Out", the 60s were "Groovy" 
and the 50s was "Boss"! 
To deliberately repeat myself, I'm PSYCHED! 
PEACE!
Which Newly ELECTED Democratic (or Democratic caucusing) Senator are you most excited about?
I share the excitement over Elizabeth Warren. As a Mainer, I should be excited about Angus King, but I do believe that he'll vex us occasionally. I'm certainly proud of Heidi heitkamp and Joe Donelly because NOBODY thought they'd win and I'm proud of Tim Kaine because I just like the guy and he sent Mr. Macaca home AGAIN. My vote, however, is for our first openly gay and very forward thinking liberal US Senator Tammy Baldwin.
Yes. larry craig was gay, but he was a self-loathing and deeply closeted rightist nut, so I don't really count him. He'd not only avoid the log cabin republicans like the plague, he'd probably be one of the first in line to set fire TO that cabin.
Your choice and why?
PEACE!
A question about the cops in schools idea.
Am I the only one who's totally sick and tired of the creedence given to the fuckwads at the nra whenever their default response to any national tragedy is to throw more guns at the problem?
As a husband, father and much more of a patriot than any rightist asshole who insists upon potentially remaking our children's schools into free fire zones, I am sooo fucking sick and tired of nra apologists in positions of power who place their misguided worship of the second amendment ahead of the safety of the children of the people who;ve elected them to represent their best interest.
My wife and I are dedicated to supporting any public official who opposes this moronic nra idea and to working for the defeat of any who support it.
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
My E-Mail to our new DA regarding guns in schools.
I'm on my day off today and the new DA is a very friendly aquaintance of my family. Further comments to follow.
This is Jack XXXXXXXX on my day off. I thought I'd tke a moment after the national tragedy of the Newtown murders and express an opinion to you, our new DA and one of our leaders.
It seems that many are coming up with the moronic idea of responding to this murder spree by arming the school personel. Even after listening to the mass stupidity of the entire republican national campaign this year, the notion of turning our schools into potential free fire zones is, to me, totally repellant. Maria and I responded to this horror, as I think it quite likely you and your husband did, as parents first. As much as we've seen the photos of some of the innocent victims, we saw our son's face and our first concern is always the safety of our son.
We certainly hope that you will do all in your power to oppose this moronic idea of guns in our schools to promote SAFETY. For clarification, I am not a total anti-gun ideologue. I have, until 15 years ago, been a gun owner. I know that the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and would never have the slightest thought of harming a child. I also know that a hunter doesn't need an assault rifle to shoot a deer or a bear or a moose. I also know that the only purpose of an assault rifle is to kill people, and too many children have died on the alter of the far right's absoluteism over the Second Amendment.
I also believe that there is something seriously wrong when a mentally ill person in this country has an easier time in getting a gun than in getting help for their condition. Please know that Maria and I will support any public official or any legislator opposed to the idea of, as Archie Bunker once said, "pass out the pistols" in our schools. We will do all that we can to insure the defeat of any official who puts the NRA before the safety of school children in Maine.
Thank you for your time and please accept Maria's and my best wishes for grea success in your new position as our new DA!
All the best,
The XXXXXXXX Family
Winthrop, Maine
I have, in my life, owned guns. I've had 3 revolvers in my life. I sold them a little more than 15 years ago when my then fiance was moving in. The guns frightened her, I valued her MUCH more than any fucking guns, so I legally sold the guns back to my local gun shop with all of the proper and legally required documentation. The only time I ever fired any of them was at the firing range and I was shooting (pretty well I might add) at paper targets. If someone had broken into my house, I may have been able to shoot him but I'm glad that I never had to find out. For home defense today, I have a very large bat. My son will never kill himself fooling around with it.
The nra fuckwads aren't wasting any time letting their little pea-brained "wisdom" spread far & wide. My wife and I aren't willing to let them be the sole voices in this argument.
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Delaware County, PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Winthrop, Maine
Member since: Tue Jul 8, 2003, 05:38 PM
Number of posts: 10,237