21 Jan '12

Winston,

Your messages on my blogsite are a welcome sight. All too often the mailman passes by my tomb and, after awhile, I begin to slip into a lonely despondency. So even a few words on my site will make the mailman stop and lift my spirit.

Here's an idea I'd like to try: have you viewed all the blog posts I've posted? Let me see... I think it was the circle and square knot work under Nauthiz and Kenaz runes where I declare: "The cause of human progress is my cause..." What I'd like is to get a hard copy of all I've written thus far. You see, I don't have access to any computers, so I can't see what's on my blogsite in its entirety. If this isn't possible without a printer, maybe someone else out there will print it out and send it to me in the mail. Whereas you might like to leave your messages to me on a particular old blog post—or one with artwork that you'd like to see. Or that you'd like to comment on. Wherever you post your comment on my site, the blogmaster will download a printed copy to me under a portion of whatever I wrote or drew. Do you understand?

Okay, a few comments in response to yours. Your initial message under my Credentials of Ministry and a booklist. You noticed the highlighted books are the only ones I've held onto, I hope. I listed the others to be a tribute of sorts, as they've been instrumental in my evolution.

You had also mentioned Mike's shenanigans and I may have—no! I certainly overreacted when I took him out to the prairie to scare him straight. An addict has to get sick and tired of being sick and tired before they'll accept anyone's help in their own recovery. So we must understand the effects pain meds have on his soul. Well, pain meds cause aberrations in addicts that makes them liabilities to themselves and others around them. So we all need to keep that in mind and not take any of his shortcomings too personally nor his apologies too seriously. It kills me not to be able to help him see the life and love he is squandering away, but I did the same when i was out there in my ignorance. Too bad. Would I have listened to anyone offering me a reality check? I was too belligerent to hear anyone else's logic, so I expect it is the same for Mike too.

So I don't know what to do. Let him be himself? I can do that—and accept that he is undependable. But for his wife and kids sake, I want to shake some sense into him. And show him how his life affects the lives of his loved ones.

If someone would have done that for me out there—suggested the effects I was having and what that would have upon my family—maybe I wouldn't have been so selfishly belligerent. I just don't know what I can do for Mike and his family. To try and help them not suffer the same fate that my family has. Any suggestions?

On that note, I will bring this to a close while I wrestle with my demons of regret.

Bro, cherish every moment and everyone in them, and count your blessings.

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