Come As You Are.

PRYSM is a youth center for gay and lesbian young people; transgender, bisexual kids as well as kids questioning their sexuality and their straight friends and other allies. 

In other words, it's a place where young people are welcome to come as they are, without fear of judgment or discrimination. The adults who are involved are among the most decent and caring people I have ever known. PRYSM has social activities and support groups and information and an atmosphere that is big on self-esteem and self acceptance. In some of these kids' lives, it may well be the only environment they encounter with those qualities. I am sure we can all remember the fate of the kid who was "different" in high school. As Thomas Wolfe said, "There are none so cruel as unthinking youth."

Or as a gay teen said to be, "I can spend a whole day and never see one other gay thing."

We are very fortunate to have PRYSM in our Delaware County Community.

PRYSM is holding a fundraiser on March 22nd. If you click the link above it will lead you to the home page, where you can get more information. In this age of scarcity, please be generous with this valuable organization that practices a true generosity of the spirit and the heart.

Myra's Place

I have written before about my good friend Barri Pepe's great contribution to the recovery community, Myra's Place. Now she has a web page, with all of the information about the good work that Myra's Place does. Please check it out. I can guarantee you will be glad you did.

Mark Ciavarella, Former Pa. Juvenile Court Judge, Convicted in Alleged 'Kids for Cash' Case - ABC News

The most heinous abuse of judicial power I have ever seen.

Mark Ciavarella, Former Pa. Juvenile Court Judge, Convicted in Alleged 'Kids for Cash' Case - ABC News

The Disease Concept, Redux

Last year was turbulent, to put it mildly. Ongoing issues with a family member's addiction; my illness and near-death experience. A thousand false starts and promises to get back to work, and write on a regular basis, etc. etc.

In brief, many of the ingredients of addiction, operating in the life of someone with many years of recovery, and suffering now from another chronic illness: COPD. Denial, rationalization, obsession, alibis,  broken promises.

But I guess I shouldn't be so surprised.

As we addiction counselors like to tell our clients, over and over again, there is so much more to the disease of addiction than the presence or absence of drugs, or booze, or gambling and so forth. The disease is a complicated cluster of distorted thinking, inappropriate emotion and dysfunctional coping skills.

And, as this old man can attest, that does not change overnight.