20 years ago on September 8th 1999. I was taken into custody by the juvenile court in Seattle for a probation violation after showing up to my court appointment late and on drugs. Weeks later in that cell, much like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank, I had a decision to make, “Get busy living or get busy dying”. For me sobriety has always been a life and death errand. The nature of my alcoholism tried to kill me in my adolescence, it tried every means of doing so with all its cunning power. Straight from jail i went into my fourth rehabilitation center for wayward youths. I got locked up with nothing expect a pair of ripped up jeans, a t shirt and the shoes on my feet. This photo was take a few months later in the treatment center. They lent me borrowed clothes from the lost and found and took me to meetings in Seattle where I heard people stand up and talk about finding a solution to their problem. It was the first time I actually felt a glimmer of hope, that maybe there was a possibility of getting clean. Today it’s been 20 years since I’ve used drugs or drank alcohol. What a ride it’s been. Here’s to 20 more. 🎂 🎉