A Writer's Journey: Now What? by T.W. Harvey, Author

Guest Post 5

November 12, 1994, 10:00P.M

Shaker Heights, Ohio

Now What?

          Now, this was an interesting day, a Saturday in mid-November in blustery, gray Cleveland, Ohio. Thankfully, Ohio State beat Indiana this afternoon, 32 – 17, but I didn’t watch it. You see I wanted to continue my work with the Western Reserve Historical Society of Cleveland about the letters in the crates. By the way, things had gotten interesting with Paula as we had continued to see each other, but she wasn’t interested in hanging out at the library of the Historical Society. So, I had gone down there by myself as I had on previous Saturdays.

I had met the curator of the Archives, Mabel Hendershott, on my first visit a couple of weeks ago when I first mentioned that I had found the letters and wanted to know how to protect them. Mrs. Hendershott provided the wisdom that I did not have. That’s when I got the lecture.

Scribbling on a legal pad as quickly as I could, she told me the first thing I was to do was to get a box of surgical gloves for handling the letters. Next, I had to go to the Burrows Bros. stationery store to get a box of acid-free file folders and acid-free storage boxes. Oh, and I wasn’t to forget labels for the file folders that I could run through my printer to identify each letter. Then the next stop was Russo’s market to purchase a box of black polyethylene trash bags in which to keep the box, keeping light out. She then asked me the most important question, “Just what are you going to do with the letters?”     

I told her once again about the “Lincoln letter” and that I had a feeling there might be a book in those crates. But that meant I would have to transcribe them into WordPerfect files in some sort of order, most likely chronologically by author, to see what the story really was.

Well, today, I reported to Mrs. Hendershott that I had done everything that she had assigned and had even bought two boxes of 3½” by 3½” floppy disks (well, they weren’t really floppy; they were plastic, but everyone calls them floppy) and a case to store them. So, now I have 24 disks on which to store the letters, using my word processing system called WordPerfect. This let me type up the letters and store them on disks so I could retrieve them if necessary and not have to type it over again like I would have had to do with a typewriter.

Quite relieved, she seemed to approve of my approach and very nicely asked if she could be of any more assistance. I politely said that I didn’t think so, thanked her for the education, and quietly walked out into the brisk November air, the gray skies of Cleveland suggesting snow. As I drove back to the condo at Shaker Square this afternoon, I felt really good, but wondering if there was really a book in those two crates, just waiting to be published.

A couple of hours ago, I got off the phone with Paula, having told her about my afternoon, and she asked, matter-of-factly, “Do you know what you are getting yourself into?”

“Well, no,” I had responded, “but I gotta find out. You want to go to a movie tomorrow afternoon. It’s supposed to be pretty good. About the Civil War.”

“What’s it called?” she asked.

“Gettysburg.” I replied, It’s playing out at Richmond Mall. I’ll pick you up at 1.”

“No, thanks. I’ll pass. I’m gonna play tennis at the Chagrin Valley courts.”

“It’s gonna be cold.”

“No, it’s indoors, dummy!”

With that, I said to myself, “Well, nobody’s called me ‘dummy’ for quite a while, if ever. The hell with her. I’m going to see Gettysburg tomorrow.” Just so you know, she was kidding with the “dummy” comment.

          The condo is a mess, especially the small bedroom I am using for a study. I’ll clean it up tonight. Wonder what that movie is gonna be about. The battle of Gettysburg, but that’s all I know.

          Supper came and went around 7 this evening. Then I gave some order to the study, putting the acid-free boxes right by my chair in front of my PC, labels for the file folders on my worktable on the right. Floppy disks in their cases right beside the computer. I’m ready to begin this adventure.

          About an hour ago, I tired of the sit-coms and thought I would watch something else. Standing by the TV, I clicked around on the dial. Landing on the new cable channel, Turner Classic Movies, I said out loud, “Damn, it’s Midway with Heston, Glenn Ford, and Fonda.” ‘Night all.

About Dr. Harvey

Dr. T.W. Harvey is a retired Associate Professor of Finance at Ashland (Ohio) University. He has published two books, Quality Value Banking: Effective Management Systems that Increase Earnings, Lower Costs, and Provide Competitive Customer Service, with Janet L. Gray, and The Banking Revolution: Positioning Your Bank in The New Financial Services Marketplace. Further, he had articles published in both practitioner and academic journals.

Dr. Harvey has always been fascinated by the history of the United States and was grateful to have the opportunity to study it in detail while researching and writing Seeing the Elephant: One Man’s Return to the Horrors of the Civil War.

He was born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He graduated from Hillsdale College with a BA in English, from Case Western Reserve University with an MBA in Finance, from Cleveland State University with a doctorate in management and strategy. He and his wife, Paula, reside in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

https://twharvey.net/

How to Spend a Day in Asheville, North Carolina by Matthew Caracciolo

View from Chimney Rock.
www.matthewcaracciolo.com
 

How to Spend a Day in Asheville, North Carolina

by Matthew Caracciolo

My wife and I were on our way to Charleston, South Carolina to pick up our son at the grandparents’ house and decided he could wait another day so we could have an adventure in Asheville, North Carolina.

Equal parts Appalachia and Portland, Oregon, Asheville is the perfect destination for travelers who want to spend the day hiking in stunning wilderness and the evening at a brewpub. The city is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, which means there are countless recreational opportunities within your grasp. Downtown, on the other hand, is brimming with restaurants, craft breweries, and boutiques. It’s really the best of both worlds.

What makes Asheville even more inviting is that it’s between us Ohioans and the beaches of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, meaning you can incorporate a stop on your way to or from your beach destination if you’re making a road trip of it. Even if you have just one day to spend in the area, it’s well worth it to carve out some time and spend at least a night here. My wife and I spent two nights here—a late arrival and early departure—so we could have a full day in Asheville.

The Biltmore

Let’s get this one out of the way. The most notable attraction in Asheville is the gigantic Biltmore estate, built by industrialist George Vanderbilt and the largest private residence in the United States. There’s 8,000 acres of gardens, trails, wineries, and other attractions on the grounds. It’s Disney World for people interested in high culture from the Gilded Age, and as such is priced accordingly. Admission to the estate starts at $64. While I hear it’s well worth it and, depending on your interests, there may be special events that further entice you to visit (there was a Downton Abbey exhibition while we were in town), this was not in the budget for this trip. You could easily spend a half day, or a relaxing full day, wandering the grounds and exploring all its offerings. We opted for a different, more affordable experience.

Hickory Nut Falls

Chimney Rock State Park

One of my favorite things to do is find movie shooting locations and visit them. This is easier to do in Ohio than you think; big titles like The Shawshank Redemption and The Avengers were shot entirely or partly in Ohio. The mountains near Asheville have stood in for the mountains of upstate New York for at least two movies: Dirty Dancing and The Last of the Mohicans. Chimney Rock State Park was a filming location for the latter. The finale of the film, when Hawkeye and crew run up a mountain to catch up with their enemies, was shot in the park to take advantage of its sweeping views. The scene culminates at the top of a waterfall. Unfortunately, as I discovered when we visited, that precise trail that they filmed on is no longer open to the public. Still, the views are spectacular. To hike underneath the filming location, you want to take Hickory Nut Falls trail which takes you to the base of 404-ft tall Hickory Nut Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. To reach the top of the waterfall, where the climax of the finale was filmed, take the Skyline Trail. This trail goes into the woods and comes out to the waterfall rather than follow the path that the actors ran through.

In COVID times, the park is operating as first come, first served. We showed up when the park opened at 8:30am and was one of the first 20 or so cars. When we left the park around 11am, they were still letting people in, but about an hour or so later, the gates were closed until more people left the park.

Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery

Village of Chimney Rock

At the base of the state park is the village of Chimney Rock, a miniaturized Gatlinburg, TN of sorts. There are cheap places to eat, rustic and kitschy gift shops, and a good number of places to stay if you intend to spend a significant amount of time in the area, a little under an hour’s drive southeast from downtown Asheville through windy mountain roads. Lake Lure, where much of the filming for Dirty Dancing took place, is only a few more minutes east. We weren’t ready for lunch quite yet, so we grabbed a drink and some pretzels at Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery, which has a seating area along the rippling Broad River.

On the drive to Chimney Rock from Asheville, we noted the number of roadside restaurants and antique shops along Rt. 74. Nothing was screaming our name in Chimney Rock, so we stopped at a hot dog stand on the way back to Asheville and looked in at an antique store. If you’re in no hurry, this is a good way to break up the drive.

Blue Ridge Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway, operated by the National Park Service, connects Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. At 469 miles long, it winds through mountain passes passing campgrounds, hiking trails, and scenic overlooks. The road skirts the outside of Asheville, making it an easy option for a driving excursion. About a half an hour from Asheville is the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, from which you can take a short hiking path through a mystical forest of scrubby, fern-thick forest to the top of the mountain where an extensive patch of rhododendrons was in bloom when we visited. My wife repeatedly said ‘this is where fairies must live.’ It was remarkable to see a completely different ecosystem than the tall trees at Chimney Rock only a few hours earlier.

The great thing about the Blue Ridge Parkway is that you can do as much or as little as you’d like and it’s free.

Craggy Gardens

Craggy Gardens

Craggy Gardens Rhododendrons

Downtown Asheville

So you’ve spent all day outside hiking and you’re ready to be pampered a bit. Grab a shower at the hotel and head to Downtown Asheville.

Asheville is gaining a reputation as a dining and craft brewery destination. The city reportedly has the most breweries per capita of any city in the United States. When you’re downtown, you’re not too far from any of them. There are also art galleries, boutiques, bookstores, and in general a lot of opportunities for grazing, drinking, and window shopping. Plenty of downtown hotels mean you could conceivably skip the sweaty hiking part of the day and spend your time wandering the walkable city center steps away from your hotel room.

My parents had previously visited Asheville and warned us of the difficulty of getting a table at dinner time. We arrived downtown just before 5pm, thinking that since we were on the early side of the dinner rush we might find something easily. We wandered into the Grove Arcade building, browsed its classy Battery Park Book Exchange (which has a champagne bar and live music), and ambled throughout town scoping out dinner options. COVID precautions negated any such luck as restaurants are forced to admit fewer patrons. Some restaurants were already no longer taking names for the evening. We lucked out in getting a table at Salsa’s with about a 45-minute wait. All that is to say you should make dinner reservations unless you’re satisfied by a take-out option.

For dessert, though we were already stuffed with salmon guacamole and fajitas, we walked over to French Broad Chocolate Lounge for some mousse. We looked into a handful of shops on the way back to our car and called it an early night—we’d done a lot that day.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge

Other Options

As you can see, you can get a lot of mileage out of a full day in Asheville. However, if you have more time to spend, there are endless hiking opportunities in the area. There are also some creative neighborhoods to check out such as the River Arts District. And there’s plenty of good food to eat and beer to drink. I hope to come back some day and check out some of the attractions we missed.

Matthew Caracciolo is a freelance writer and author of The Waygook Book: A Foreigner’s Guide to South Korea from Monday Creek Publishing. He also maintains his own travel blog, Travel is Fatal, on his website. To find out more about The Waygook Book or Travel is Fatal, please visit matthewcaracciolo.com.

How to Prepare for Your First Horseback Riding Lesson by Mike Shortridge

How to Prepare for Your First Horseback Riding Lesson

by Mike Shortridge

After booking your first horse riding lesson you might start to panic wondering what to expect and if you have everything you need in terms of riding gear and equipment. Don’t worry; we have compiled this quick guide to show you exactly how to prepare for your first lesson.

1.     Start thinking about your fitness

Many people think horse riding is a case of just sitting on a horse and it’s easy but don’t be fooled – it’s hard work and great exercise so you might want to start thinking about your fitness levels in general.

Once you start riding you will soon realise just how much exertion is required to get on and stay on a horse as it moves, but don’t worry, riding is good exercise in itself. Being somewhat fit will help you to avoid muscle aches and pains and becoming too saddle sore however so you might want to think about upping your workouts ready for that first lesson.

2.   Riding clothes

It’s important to wear the right clothes when riding for the first time, for your own comfort and safety. While most schools will loan a riding hat for the first couple of lessons it’s always better to have one of your own which fits perfectly and has never been in any kind of collision with the ground.

In terms of footwear, you need to have either shoes or boots with a solid heel so that your foot can’t just slip straight out of the stirrup. You need a smooth sole and boots are the best option as they offer protection to your ankles as well. Trainers and any kind of open toe shoes are a complete no-no.

Professional riders where jodhpurs which are always a good idea as they are reinforced in the right places to prevent rubbing while riding, however, if you don’t have any then opt for leggings instead. Never ride in jeans as the material and seams will definitely rub and cause pain and soreness.

3.   Contact with your horse

When you come for a first lesson you should be prepared to get to know the horse you will be riding, by spending time with it and letting it get to know you. This is essential bonding time to help both of you work together as a successful horse and rider partnership.

4.   Learn about the safety issues

Safety is paramount so on your first lesson the riding school should talk you through how you can expect the horse to behave and key safety areas around dealing with horses and behaviour in the yard, should be laid out for you to help avoid any unnecessary risks.

5.    Finding your perfect riding position

After you have met the horse and been advised of all the safety aspects which you need to be aware of, the first lesson will normally involve you mounting the horse, followed by a lot of adjustments of stirrups and reins to make sure you are in exactly the right riding position for you and the horse.

6.   Expect to be led

Don’t be worried that you will be let loose with a horse in the woods on your first lesson – this will never happen in a reputable riding school. For your first lesson you can expect to be riding around an indoor school, with an instructor leading the horse on a long rein, while you get used to the feel and movement, and concentrate on balancing.

7.    Have some questions prepared

If there is anything you are unsure about then do ask the instructor as you will be building up a rapport with them during each lesson. If there is any aspect of horse riding which you want to find out about, then prepare some questions for them in advance of the lesson.

8.   Expect to have soreness and aching muscles

You should be prepared to be stiff and aching the next day, because you will have been using a lot of muscles constantly just to stay balanced as the horse moves around. Don’t worry, as your body gets used to what is required, it will get easier but it might be worth planning an easy day after the lesson takes place, to allow your body to adjust.

Going for your first riding lesson is a really exciting time but if you are not used to being around horses it can also feel a bit daunting. However, with our tips on preparing for the first lesson, you should feel completely at ease and ready once you arrive.

The main thing about horse riding to remember is to have the right clothing, take it slow and steady and don’t expect to be show-jumping on the first day – above all enjoy the experience.

Mike is a freelance writer who contributes regularly for http://www.horseseller.com.au/blog. During his spare time, he likes to binge watch on his latest TV obsession and go hunting for obscure vinyl toys.

Love and Nature Healing Retreat, Abruzzo, Italy

If you are looking for a place to have an energy reading, spiritual guidance, de-stress time, daily guided meditation and yoga, home grown and cooked food, peace, nature, animals and love, then our home is open for you to re-energize, re-connect and dive deeper into the life your soul came here to live!

A 3-hour car ride from Rome or 2 hours from Pescara, we can then direct you to our front door!

For bookings and more information, you can find us now easily through this link on Airbnb.

Love and Nature Healing Retreat

​

What people are saying;

Great venue to relax and restore your energy. Superb experience! Fantastic hospitality with two charming and compassionate people like Catherine and Nathan who go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable. The energy and the vibe of the place were so uplifting from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. I really recommend their food which was amazing and they catered to all my needs with delicious alternatives. They grow their own vegetables so there is always an abundance of homemade produce.

I really enjoyed my one to one yoga, meditation and breathing exercises with Catherine who has such a warm and kind nature, she is also very knowledgeable and has a lot of experience. In fact she has opened my eyes to the meaning of meditation and its purpose. Thanks to Catherine I practice every day. I can’t praise her enough for what she taught me. Also we had a few sessions of energy reading and Catherine was accurate. She is a talented, gifted healer and incredibly empathic. She provided me with clarity about my situation, using her ability to assist me to identify the cause of my issues. I immediately felt a huge difference in my energy, leaving me with a deep sense of calm and very happy.

The location is amazing with its stunning landscapes, medieval villages and Apennine view all around you. I saw many lovely parts of Abruzzo, one of Italy's most precious gems, and I really enjoyed walking in the surrounding hills. The overall experience was fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for more. Highly recommended. Thanks Catherine and Nathan, you will see me again very soon!

Nadia Muscella, Italy

Dear Catherine,

Your ability to connect at a soul level to help me on every level was a great help at a time of upheaval in my life. I was feeling the effects of stress and feeling unsure of my future and where to go next.

You were spot on with where you saw me at now emotionally, and spiritually. Your clear, honest and practical guidance helped me to have clarity and confidence in my next steps and direction for where I need to be.

I received specific help with where to look within and why this would help me to move forward in life and also within for my spiritual path. Knowing that you could obviously see me on every level gave me the assurance and comfort that I was in good hands.

All of this was healing in itself but add in your healing energy and heart aligned intentions to that and I was left cleansed, strong and still within. My stress was replaced with empowerment.

I feel blessed for my experience with you Catherine.

Gratefully

Edward Cox, Australia

Connect with Catherine...

www.catherinelouisebirmingham.com

www.ginamc.blogspot.com/2016/10/ride-for-life-three-golden-principles.html

www.facebook.com/catherinelouise.birmingham

When Harry Met the Queen by Tim Truelan

The Copper Horse (Monument to George III) by Sir Richard Westmacott (1775-1856) 1824-30; 
erected October 1831. Bronze, on a rocky platform in Snow Hill, Windsor Great Park, in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

When Harry Met the Queen

Based on a True Encounter by the Author while on Horseback

by Tim Truelan

Harry Hunter, event rider that is, while riding across Windsor Great Park one summer’s day, the huge Royal Standard atop the great round tower was streaming magnificently in the wind, calling me to come and look inside the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world.

My tour started through a portcullis gate and inside, a regiment of Lifeguards – resplendent in shiny black, thigh-high riding boots, red tunics and gleaming breastplates – marched to the regimental band.

I continued into a horseshoe-shaped Tudor Cloister, to my right a grand flight of steps led up to St. George’s Chapel – where Prince Harry and Meghan will marry in May. Inside the Chapel shafts of sunlight shone down from beautiful tall windows, a sublime setting for any wedding. Embedded in the flagstones, tombs from history: Henry the Eighth, Jane Seymour and Charles the First.

I went inside the Castle. The entrance hall was built to impress, likewise the huge Waterloo Banqueting Chamber with its great vaulted roof and an immense carpet brought from India – which took forty men to carry up the hill from the railway station when it arrived.

I strolled along the battlements, looking out towards the playing fields of Eton, where many a foreign battle had been won, or so it has been said.

Everywhere throughout the Castle were amazing artifacts, two stuck in my memory: the Bible that ‘Gordon’ was holding when he perished at the Battle of Khartoum, and the musket ball that felled Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.

One could not fail to be impressed by the interior of Windsor castle: the Great Hall, its roof covered in hundreds of Coats of Arms; the green Drawing Room; and the Crimson Room of red and flaming gold!

I strolled into the garden before ending my visit and came across a guardsman, resplendent in his black Busby and scarlet tunic, gazing out over the treetops towards Eton; I wondered if he was musing on the fable of the playing fields.

Riding once again across Windsor Great Park, close to the Castle, Harry bumps into its owner, The Queen. They exchanged greetings, she from a Bentley Sedan and Harry on horseback…

Which prompted the author to title his latest novel, Horseback.

From the novel Horseback by Tim Truelan, available onAmazon.

#Books #Horsebooks #Windsor #Harry #eventing #Badminton #Queenelizabeththesecondofengland #thewindsors #windsorcastle #Royalwindsorhorseshow #Burughley #Chatsworth

www.authortimtruelan.co.uk

Security System by Clyde Hoch

Security System

by Clyde Hoch

A couple of years ago I purchased a security system. It weighed about 12 pounds, it was quite pricey. I had my choice of black or brown. I thought black looked better and would not be seen at night.

The system probably cost me about $50 a month, everything in consideration. I am pleased with it. It lets me know when someone comes near my yard. It lets me know when something is not quite right in my yard. Most people that see it are usually very afraid of it until they get used to it.

The system has gained about 100 pounds, has large teeth and runs very fast. The system is a 110-pound Doberman. He is with me almost all the time. He loves chasing squirrels, cats and kids. He never caught a squirrel, I don’t know what he would do if he did.

I saw a young boy playing in my yard, my Doberman saw him and ran towards him. The poor kid looked back as he was running and had a look on his face like he was a goner. I let it go until the Doberman was about 100 feet from the kid when I called him back. I never saw the kid in my yard again.

My Doberman has become my best friend. No matter what the price, he is worth it. He and I went to school one day a week for over a year, so he could be my service dog.

I used to take him to a meeting when he was young, and people got angry because he was bored and whined. I was told not to bring him to that meeting again. I told them neither he or I would attend the meeting again.

He is over two years old now and when I take him to meetings he is very good. At times I ask if anyone would mind if I took his service dog vest off. Most people look forward to it. Once his vest is off he is free to do almost what he wants. Usually he runs around the room greeting everyone. Once I called him back and put the vest on he settles down and is quiet.

I had him in classes that were eight hours long. When we got our first break I took him out to a field to run. As we were walking out I heard several people say they didn’t even know a dog was in the room. The only time he got up was when a person in a desk behind us accidentally bumped him with his foot.

People can not believe the difference with the vest-on vest-off thing. People say it’s like a light switch, he is a totally different dog.

As a veteran with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) it is very hard to trust people. I totally trust my buddy. I sleep better at night knowing he is nearby and would wake me if anything happened. I can not stand being in large groups of people. It is much better with my buddy. I don’t know what I would do without him. I don’t think he would know what to do without me.

In Vietnam we all worked together and had each other’s back. I know my buddy has my back. It is a very comfortable feeling.

The drawback to having him is people who would normally walk right by me, now want to pet him or talk about him. Do not pet or talk to a dog with a service dog vest on. A service dog is not a therapy dog. A service dog must go through extensive training. A therapy dog does not. A therapy dog is trained so people can pet him and feel better. A service dog must be admitted into any establishment. A therapy dog does not.

A service dog is trained to do specific tasks for their teammate. For instance, when I’m driving he sits on the back seat. When I get road rage he puts his head on my shoulder and no matter how angry I am he calms me down. I have already banged my fist on my desk. He got up, came to me and licked my arm. In meetings when I get to something very sensitive to me, he nudges me. When he nudges me, I know it’s time to think about something else. Once I had him laying about 30 feet from me. I got to something that was very sensitive to me and he got up and came to me. People in the audience noticed it.

I know people do not understand the bond between a veteran and his service dog.

Connect with Clyde…

email hochclyde@yahoo.com

website http://clydehoch.com

Read Clyde's childhood story about Spike, a cherished Clydesdale...

http://ginamc.blogspot.com/2014/09/sergeant-clyde-hoch-award-winning-author.html

Books by Clyde Hoch:

Tracks Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran This is Clyde’s military experience as a tank commander in Vietnam.

A Tribute to Tankers has a short description on a type of tank and follows with stories of people who served in that type of tank in combat, starting with WWI and ends with Iraq.

B. A. R. Man Browning Automatic Rifle Man is the story of a young man who does some amazing things in the Korean War until he is wounded and captured by the Chinese. He is forced to march 200 miles with no medical attention. He is held as a POW for two and a half years.

A Man Down is the story of four young men who gave their lives for their country. This book won a bronze medal from Readers Favorite.

Albion is Clyde’s first work of fiction. It has eight chapters. Each chapter is a different story and different period in time.

God Help Me! Cause No One Else Will is Clyde’s sixth book. It is about post-traumatic stress disorder and veteran's suicides and how to prevent them. 

Chelsea Bags, New York USA

From New York, USA

Chelsea Bags

Handcrafted bags for keeping things organized!

Recommended!

See all of Chelsea’s Bags on Etsy!

 https:/www.etsy.com/shop/ChelseaBags

Read all the great reviews!

Stripped of Their Childhood Innocence: How Two Recovering Addicts Moved On from a Dark Past

Photo credit: Pixabay

Stripped of Their Childhood Innocence: How Two Recovering Addicts Moved On from a Dark Past

Children are small and innocent. Their biggest life choices are whether they want chocolate or strawberry ice cream, cheese or pepperoni pizza. Unfortunately, some children aren’t that lucky. They deal with childhood traumas that set the course for their adult lives. We spoke with two recovering addicts about how their sexual molestation led them to seek solace in the arms of drugs, and how they broke free from that embrace and found help.

Harold’s Story

Some of us were fortunate enough to grow up with loving and supportive parents. Harold’s were the opposite, and the one person he thought he could turn to for help violated him in the most unimaginable way.

“I grew up in a home with domestic violence: I was verbally and physically abused. I was sexually molested when I was 8 to 10 by our family’s priest,” Harold said, adding, “At the time, I couldn’t process it. I started drinking at a very early age, probably my early teens. It helped me to bury the pain.”

Harold felt like the odd man out. He was bullied in high school for being different. Harold was gay, but felt like he had to hide from the world.

“I was bullied and tried to be someone I wasn’t — I dated women, drank heavily, smoked pot and took ecstasy,” Harold said.

To deal with the pain, Harold turned to harder drugs such as meth and cocaine. Thinking a move would fix his problems, Harold crossed state lines but found himself homeless and selling his body for drugs — until he was diagnosed with HIV and paranoia. It was at this point Harold sought help.

“I realized that when I was younger, I hadn’t processed the trauma and pain that I had experienced. Instead of processing it, I had numbed it with the drugs and drinking,” Harold said. “It took time to work through it, but it was so important for me to do that in the process of my recovery.”

Overcoming his past and his addiction was hard, but Harold has some helpful advice for anyone who may be walking a similar path to his.

“I’d tell them to hang in there. You’re about to go through one of the hardest times of your life. It is going to be painful, it is going to hurt, but it’s going to be worth it,” Harold said.

Angie’s Story

Like Harold, someone Angie should have been able to depend on to protect her robbed her of her innocence.

“I had a major trauma in my life when I was 11 years old: I was raped by my step-father. After it happened, I told my mother, and she made me promise not to tell a soul,” Angie said.

Like every child, Angie grew up. She married and had two daughters, both of whom tested her patience. With everything going on, she began having flashbacks to her trauma, and nightmares kept her awake at night. She found rest with a prescription from her doctor — or so she thought.

“I would take my Ambien and go to sleep and I didn’t have to think, I didn’t have to remember, I didn’t have to feel, and I didn’t have to worry. When I took the pills, I didn’t have to be a mom or a wife. I would just go to sleep,” Angie said.

Eventually, Angie began taking pills morning and night. Despite pleadings from her husband to go get help, Angie continued, convinced that she wasn’t addicted. One morning, she had a wake up call.

“Finally, I woke up one morning — it was a Wednesday — and I only had two more pills left. I started having anxiety about not having enough. When I wasn’t taking the pills, everything would come rushing back to me,” Angie said.

Angie called her husband and told him she was ready to go to rehab. She found the help she needed at the Treehouse in Texas, and faced her past head on.

“I learned I was a very brave person. I dealt with my trauma the best way I could deal with it, and I asked for help. I denied help for so long, but in asking for help, I was brave,” Angie said.

Angie says that the key to moving forward after any sort of betrayal is forgiveness.

“You don’t have to forgive the person that did it to you. But you can forgive yourself. And you need to let someone in to help you with it, because you can’t do it all on your own. And that’s OK,” Angie said.

For Harold and Angie, addiction wasn’t a choice. They became addicted in an effort to block out the pain. The truth is, there are other positive, healthy methods to deal with past trauma. With help, you can break free from the negative embrace, and find yourself a better person for it.

Constance Ray started Recoverywell.org with the goal of creating a safe place for people to share how addiction has affected them, whether they are combating it themselves or watching someone they care about work to overcome it.