As I reflect on my own life, I love to hear others stories. I am not always thrilled as to what I hear in regards to the progress through a hardship. However it could teach me a lesson about myself and other people. Today was the day before Christmas Eve, so it is a rigorously traveled holiday. I snapped my ankle about 5 weeks ago in two different spots. I had surgery the whole nine yards it wasn't an easy thing, and still isn't but I accept life as it is. As I woke I had plans to meet with a friend. He is an older man much wiser than I, and we share ideas. I mainly go there to hear his wisdom, striving to understand what I don't already know about myself. As I grab my crutches and make my way from my apartment down a set of 30 stairs, I encounter the rain and dampness. Bracing myself to possibly break my fall say I slip or something of that nature. Luckily I was careful and in tune so I didn't have a problem there. I get into my car even though its complicated, I am almost ready to get on the interstate north.
Meanwhile just before I pull away my neighbor downstairs approaches my car window. For the sake of not exploiting anyone I will call him Greg. I roll my window down and Greg says hows the ankle buddy? I reply with good, I am heading north to meet with a friend in Martlon N.J. Greg says oh wow, alright. I then notice he needed a ride and it was raining. I pressed further asking him if he needed a lift. He said sure, I need to get to the market, and Smitty's or the liquor store to be exact. As we drive he tells me how he lost his clam boat off Atlantic City N.J. in 1990. Crazy story Greg goes onto say my life everything flashed before my eyes I thought I was dead. I was 21 miles off the coast the boat capsized and I was in 8-10 foot seas. I tend to be very inspired by people, and these crazy experiences. To me it is something to take along and pass on to future generations. I was going through minor withdrawal from opioid painkillers after my ankle surgery. Everything to do with the ankle hurt, and the ankle had to be elevated 24 hours a day, even when I slept. The moment I thought I was fine with no painkillers my pain would race ahead of me and become severe and intense. This happened to the point where I would be screaming bloody murder my apartment complex neighbors and roommate would hear. Through the withdrawal experiencing it personally and in high school having close friends do heroin I know the danger of these drugs used improperly.
Greg then goes onto say how were them percocets I bet they felt nice. I was about to knock on your door and see if you wanted to sell any. I wasn't surprised of this as this man is an alcoholic to the max unfortunately. He is an elder to me so disrespecting him is out of the question for me personally. I truly felt like saying listen pal "I don't party like that". Bringing me back to my teaching of psychology and what I have observed over the last 10 years. I see this man is self medicating with alcohol, and pills in order to escape something. He doesn't drive obviously I see him riding a bike all over. So we have a guy with obvious financial problems along with no license or car. Most would write him off as a drunk, pill addict you know the deal. It really is not my style to judge so I would rather understand something. My understanding of someone who drinks like a fish and pops pills like a diabetic has an underlying issue. You see no one wants to be the guy that would like to be drunk and have that narcotic drug feeling all day. Unless that feels better than feeling the world around them as it is. Though I have sympathy and compassion for this man, his problems are not mine. However I see this man either never had proper direction in his life, or proper nurturing. Even a situation where he experienced trauma that he cannot escape.Now without shrinking his head for 20 hours over the course of a year, I don't know everything. The clues are written all over his body. I firmly believe our bodies wear the symptoms of our problems. Stress can cause an ulcer and even cancer. However the human body can create a baby inside of itself. When you lose an arm the opposite one becomes stronger. If a bone breaks it can heal back together. So the human body can heal itself given the proper attention. Greg also told me a story where he was drunk, and fell breaking 3 ribs and puncturing a lung. I'll take a broken ankle over that any day. Punctured lung sounds terrible, but he told this story as a bragging right to some degree. As I asked him what he is doing for the holiday, he replied with nothing, no money, and these holidays are depressing if you ask me. I chuckled and said "yea I hear ya man". One thing after another, this man truly needs help. Seems as though he has endured a lot of pain in his lifetime, and self medicates to escape reality. This is interesting to me, because in our society we shun people like this, and judge and criticize. When really this is a clear and present "cry for help"!
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