In Plain Sight

I'm still alive and well after 103 days in rehab. I move from the programme to a support house on March 17th. Thus far the journey has been difficult. Getting to the core of who you are and what has been haunting you since childhood takes time. It was a common enough story and I am grateful for the effort and time others spent helping me begin the work. True, I have a little knowledge, and a few tools, but the work will be ongoing. In the meantime I am sober and that's enough for now.

My First Christmas

Hi everyone - this is a brief message Doug asked me to post.

I'm working hard, learning and changing. Been sober since November 11th (Remembrance Day in Canada, Armistice Day in New Zealand - same thing).

The deal here is that we move through 3 phases of 42 days each. I'm still in phase one - identifying my issues and triggers.
Anyway folks, this is my Christmas card to you all.

Doug

RISE UP - by Doug Graves (December 2007)

Rise up to Higher Ground

where better things abound,

and eagles soar above the roar

and chaos strewn below.

Just catch the breeze and lift your wings,

be all that you may dare,

and leave behind the battlfield

where once you marched so bold.

Take flight, rise up to Higher Ground

and watch your dreams unfold.

Customized counter

Customized counter: "Customized counter Time until Monday, 17 March 2008 at 9:00:00 a.m. (Auckland time) 99 days 2392 hours 143561 minutes 8613693 seconds Alternative version It is 99 days, 16 hours, 41 minutes and 33 seconds until Monday, 17 March 2008 at 9:00:00 a.m. (Auckland time) Current time is 2007-12-08 16:18:27 (local time in Auckland"

The Warming

There are really only two choices in life. One is to do good and the other is to do bad. It's up to each of us to choose. When Christ gave his sermon on the mount he had lots to say. At the end of his talk a young fella was blown away and asked if he could follow. "Sure," Jehovah said, "Just give up everything you have and join the gang. He had lots and walked away.

Exasperated, after many questions about how to attain this or that, Christ said one thing. "Just love one another as I have loved you." What else matters? Money comes and goes and jobs come and go; the difference is what anyone leaves behind. What is your legacy?

Hone, come home. By now you have figured out something I learned some time ago, and that is that politics is best left to hogs at the trough. You have more to offer and there is an absence of leadership here. Hell, we are inundated with former clerks who don't have value or heart and they will spend the heritage that is so little and too late.

We need to invest in our children. Never mind if they can speak the reo or look the same color as you... just look into their hearts and make your choice. Life is just too short.

Ugly facts.

36 or so hours from now I am going into Detox and Rehab. It will take some weeks but this needs doing. I'm a pisshead and intend to give all of nurture, or nature, to exist. My churchmen have allowed me to speak tomorrow so I intend to at least apologise for whom I am. But...I'll never allow myself to be a doormat for anybody, so if they want to go, well let it rest on them. I declare no violence anymore, because I have had a guts full of it. Because in the end it is all about blaming everybody and pointing fingers. I have had a guts full of that too.