I arrived on a greyhound at the bus station in Hempstead before midnight. There was snow on the ground—perhaps this was the last time I had ever seen so much snow on a Christmas Eve.
My trip was as long as it was as numbing. I sat in a window seat near the back of the bus and stared out at the changes of landscape. I watched the snow fall from a light-gray sky, which turned darker as night progressed. I thought about my destination and the future that was about to unfold.

I was 17 years-old at the time and you were 62 at the time of your exit.

The bus was late—so when I arrived at the station, I made my Continue reading →

We are moving closer to Christmas Day and the mad dash to find the right gift for the right person moves closer to the deadline. The malls are crowded and the stores are strewn with items falling from the shelves.
The lines at cash registers are long and tensions can be high at times. Shoppers seem to Continue reading →

After the courts had their way and the outcome was final, I returned to The Farm to carry out my sentence. I was remanded to the completion of treatment in a long-term rehabilitation facility. I was to stay clean and comply with the terms of my probation for three years.

I took a program instead of time. Rather than serve behind bars; I admitted myself into a string of rehabilitation facilities. The first was a 28-day spot in the town of Kerhonkson, New York. I was the youngest patient in the house, which was not an easy.
Fresh from my 17^th birthday, my skin was still too Continue reading →