Developing Horizons Magazine (2).pdf Spring 2015 | Page 28

BY OSA MARTENS

Late one evening, at home during the time we

were working at the Oklahoma City Salvation Army
Adult Rehabilitation center, the phone rang. Gene
answered; it was Jim, a fellow that we had served
while in Houston. He had come to the Houston
center a broken man and always stayed in the
shadows. He would cling to the wall if passed in a
hallway, appearing afraid to be recognized. Eventually,
he did come out of his shell, and was working at the
front desk. During one of his counseling sessions, he
told me that in the past, he had been a dance instructor. This persona was hard to imagine, as he was so
very quiet and timid.
Jim was unable to maintain sobriety and was in and
out of the center several times. Eventually, the staff
recognized this fact and decided that we were not the
appropriate program for Jim, that he needed a more
structured environment to maintain his sobriety.
He was living outside of the center and called Gene
drunk, asking for help. Jim was a veteran, so Gene
contacted the V.A. and arranged to take him to the
V.A. Domiciliary in Temple, Texas, where he could
live, receive medical help, and receive help getting and
staying sober.
Jim was in withdrawal when Gene picked him up
to drive to Temple. Gene knew he had a history of
seizing during detox; thus, every hour they stopped
and Gene would buy him a beer to keep him from
going into seizures. Gene stayed with him for the
admission process and came back to Houston.
Two to three years went by and we had not heard
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how he was doing. This evening, he called, very elated
and wanting to share his news with us. He said he was
still sober and doing well at the domiciliary. In fact,
he had just gotten back from California where he had
participated in the V.A. Creative Arts Festival, and
had won 1st place in ballroom dancing!
I have seen it over and over again -- men coming in
broken and being rehabilitated
to a wonderful new life! This
has proven to me that a new life
is possible after reaching the
depths of despair. Jim’s story
is one that I have shared many
times during my DUI/Risk
Reduction classes at South
Cherokee Driving
Improvement clinic.

About Osa Martens
Osa has worked as a Georgia certified
Prime for Life, DUI/Risk Reduction
instructor for South Cherokee since
November of 1999 in both the
Woodstock and
Jasper locations. Prior to working with South Cherokee, Osa worked as a Substance Abuse Counselor
for the Salvation Army in their Adult Rehabilitation
Centers in Houston, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Atlanta, Georgia.
Used by permission