Final year of college. Developed a serious pot habit that was converting my "A" transcript into a "D" senior year. Student loans failed to materialize. I was li

Final year of college. Developed a serious pot habit that was converting my "A" transcript into a "D" senior year. Student loans failed to materialize. I was living in a shit house with miserable people. Completely out of money, I searched under every cushion, every sheet of paper, in the bottom of every box, to scrape together $8 which was enough to buy a pack of cigarettes. The next day I went to the student aid office and pleaded with them for money. They gave me $500. I was able to get through the hurdles to get the student loans on track. I thought this was the end of needing help, but in truth, it was barely the beginning. Then about 7 or 8 years of barely holding it together followed. Looking back, this is the greatest regret of my life. That at that time, in my darkest day, absolutely penniless as I walked away from the convenience store counter with nothing but consumable goods in my life, I did not at that time reach out for real help such as a 12-step recovery program. I was lucky enough to meet a good woman with plenty of her own problems but a good woman nonetheless. We had a child together, and through that experience I came to realize how much I needed to go and get that help. I did - started going to 12-step programs and found a source of immense support and love and fellowship that sustains me to this day. The work has only begun. But life has tremendous opportunity.