First and foremost this heading has nothing to do with the Book of Revelations. On Sunday, September 24, I attended church with a good friend of mine, Wayne. This was a special Sunday because it was “Recovery Sunday”. Listening to the stories of these people made me realize that I also have a story to tell. It’s about my fight with drugs from around 1987 to 2007. I really didn’t think that my story was a triumph or anything like that mainly because I never had rehab or went to any N.A. meetings. At first I just believed that I did it on my own. Then I recognized the truth… God! God carried me through that battle. So many times during that era He brought me through. So many times when I thought I was lost and at the end of my rope He picked me up and dusted me off! When I thought everything was hopeless, God showed me different. I haven’t posted in over a week because this story was on my mind. It all started when I became a N.Y.C. Corrections Officer back in the 1980’s. I know there’s always something about C.O.’s in the news or a book about corruption in the department. This story is about how we, as Correctional Personnel used drugs at work! We were doing such things like snorting cocaine while in jail on duty! It was not just the officers either… there was brass involved also! I learned how to smoke crack as a C.O.! When I look back to those times, I now realize how crazy we all were! At first I didn’t see the attraction of crack. I would rather snort coke then smoke it. But due to peer pressure and my own choices, crack became number one for me. I was making pretty good money with mandatory overtime back then. It got to the point where when I got paid (every 2 weeks) the day after payday I was broke! A few of us (C.O.’s) on payday would hang out all night getting high. The next day we would buy more coke on our way to work just so we could stay alert. Eventually, I lost my job due to dirty urine. Also, I didn’t think I had a problem. Eighteen months later, I started my second N.Y.C. job… Transit. Driving bus was easy compared to Riker’s. I had stopped getting high so I could get the job. After a while I started using again. It got so bad that I was smoking crack on my layover time while on the bus! Since my last stop was on Franklin and Fulton in Brooklyn, it was easy to cop drugs from that area. It didn’t take long, but I lost that job also due to dirty urine. It wasn’t an every day thing for me until years later. Sometimes I would stop for a few months on my own. But I didn’t stop completely until 2007. During those tumultuous years, I always felt like an outsider when I did drugs. You see, I was able to still have a modicum of control when getting high. Let me tell you though, I’ve witnessed the effect that crack has on some people. Effects that makes one say “why would anyone use something that does that to them?!” The insanity of addiction, that’s what it is! I have much more to tell with this story. I really don’t think people will read my blog if too long. I will continue this next time. Peace and blessings!