Not So Funny Pranks

Alcohol and drugs, if we could only find a way to eliminate the abuse of these 2 demons, so much pain would be saved.

Today TMan finally went to court for his poor choice so many months ago when he ended up spending Superbowl Sunday in the slammer. His bright idea the night before after too many drinks was to enter a hotel swimming pool and arrange the patio furniture neatly in the bottom of the pool. A barrel of laughs til the cops showed up. Since a few years prior he took a joy ride in a golf cart when he was sober. Imagine the shock of finding out these were both felonies. No real victims, no harm, no foul, not at all the way the courts saw his shinanigans.

So today he plead guilty to a 4th degree felony and will have it all erased when his years probation is up. But the lesson we learned was not so much in Ts case. The court was filled with those in the jail's custody and those who were headed there. We witnessed young and not so young who had real victims in their stupid drunken and drug induced crimes.

Oh trust me, there were plenty of excuses and even more promises to make better choices from now on. But you know, as a nervous observer, I wasn't believing much of what they said any more than the judge was. There was not a lot of hope in that room full of addicts. Of course, most of them would not recognize their addictions.

Today was sad, for my son in court, for my son gone too soon, for all those who are paying for crimes, for all their victims. Mostly today was sad because there didn't seem to be a solution of hope that would stop the endless parade through the courtroom in our town or in towns all across our country.

No one expects drugs or alcohol to become a huge problem in their life. It is just meant to be good fun among friends, until it is not.

In Him,
Joyful wanting to be hopeful
8-20-2010