I’m kind of a quiet guy. I like to mind my own business and keep out of trouble. And I’ve pretty much been able to live like that my whole life. I always worked, tended my own garden, so to speak, and took care of business.Thing is, I also liked to drink. Quite a lot, actually. It started when I joined the Navy in 1980 and just got worse after I left the service six and a half years later. But even though I drank too much — beer, mostly — it never caused too many problems or got in the way of anything. Most of the jobs I’ve had either encouraged drinking or at least turned a blind eye to it. As long as I never missed any work, no one cared.As I said, drinking never caused me any real problems. Well, until a few years back when I started drinking more vodka and other hard liquor, and then it started to interfere with my health. Alcohol started tearing me up inside — ulcers, cysts and problems with my heart, liver and pancreas. I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me that drinking was going to kill me.

Sober, I learned I mattered more than I thought.

In February 2013, it finally dawned on me I needed help, so I came to Springs Rescue Mission and I’ve been here ever since. After that, when I started sobering up, everything started to change. I started to learn maybe I mattered more than I thought. I started gaining more self-confidence. And while I’ve always believed in God, I got a lot closer to Him. Slowly, even methodically, God started coming to me, even in the middle of the night. It was so cool!

Well, I’m not much of a holiday person. But I know Thanksgiving is coming up soon and I want to say I’m grateful for everything I’ve been given here at Springs Rescue Mission. I’m sober and healthy again. And I know I’ll go back into society as a more productive and caring individual, with a new faith in God.