This can fall under pickleball, this could fall under circumstance, it could fall under surgery chaos theory. but none of those do it justice.

I’ll go with divine intervention. The religious kind. I am not all that religious, spiritual as they say, but do like to give space for it, to any and all. It is the great equalizer, justifier and savior. It has motivated many to do remarkably wonderful and horrific things in its name. I will lean on the remarkably wonderful.

(I have several aggressive questions I ask people, with whom I might like and want to spend time with)

“so, a benevolent god ” or ‘a righteous, almighty god” ?

Mike also has a question – “what would Jesus do” that’s what I try and do…” He told me that 3 or 4 days after playing PB at our home a few times. You need confidence, strength and belief to throw that out there.

Today, I see how powerful it was for one man, his name is Mike and I was inspired to give you some highlights.

His gateway was his brother and the blessing called AA. Something he works on daily and doesn’t just do the talk, he walks the walk.

These are his words: I am typist and pseudo translator. I will be brief and candid.

Born into a tough house, as an eldest child, where generations of alcohol, substance abuse and unkind parents did nothing, but layer scar upon scar, both emotionally and physically upon him.

Mike has levels forgiveness here, levels of acceptance, he understands that neither of his parents had the right skills either, it had been pushed or pummeled out of them as well. Mike is just over 70, and his mother is still alive.

Mike had his first interaction with alcohol at about 10 and it was a fast and easy path, all down hill. With no positive support, only negative he went down a road for 20 + years and has no good reason for survival.

He had may conversations with himself, a bottle, a cop, a judge etc … the alcohol, the ego, the competitiveness all intertwined, he became a business man, married and a father… he just could not shake alcohol. He made deals with the devil, deals to go to heaven but as anyone knows, addiction is wicked.

Addiction, sown to a bruised ego, that sometimes sees some light just burns hotter and hotter. One drink, is 3 etc … I think I can handle one. The Kelley family has this in its history.

Then one day, he and his little brother, with whom he shared a lot ( I mean a lot) were talking, the younger, who was on the cusp of losing his license, says to the older, I have to go to a “meeting”. The older says ” I am really desperate, I cannot get control” – “I’m going to kill myself” –

The younger – “go to the meeting, there are some people there who say the same thing ” and “The meetings make all the difference ..” Some jesus jokes were likely told, a lot of swearing probably took place, I am sure there were stumbles, I’m sure there was an epiphany or two.

There is much that I could write, and conjecture, if Mike has one story, he has 10, but the important part is Mike kept going.

Mike continues to this day, being open, supportive and asking what would Jesus do. Then he does it.

He is the great example of doing the life long, hard work, that breaks the family cycle of the disease of alcoholism and addiction. I asked him what his kids really knew, “not everything” was the answer. I believe in generational thinking, in genetics first, environment second. This is only a brief synopsis of “Mike”.

I told him that his life was a model, he should hold it up. He declined, told me “you could tell it”

Mike’s life is a model. I am proud to know him and consider him a friend. He credits his brother, and the tenets of AA.

AA has saved more lives and gives people hope on a scale almost unimaginable. His children, grandchildren, friends and associates should know his story, and how he works on it everyday.