A HUMAN TRAGEDY

It's sad, actually horrifying, what people can get themselves into because of addictions, usually alcohol.

Today, I was planning to help out a recent acquaintance, actually my neighbor to the rear, by taking him to Jerome for a court date. We were to leave about 9am. At 9:15 I went over to see what the holdup was to find the lady who rents the place cleaning and spraying to get burn odors out. Seems the guy who was staying there is an alcoholic who got drunk and nearly burned the place down last night with something that caught fire on the stove. So, he was arrested and taken to jail.

Later today, I was going to drive his truck back from Camp Verde where it is stranded due to him being arrested there for a little hit and run resulting in a broken mirror, his license taken away, etc. I was just trying to be a good neighbor and help someone I hardly knew out just out of human concern, even though the whole day promised to be a gigantic pain in the you know what. That's just the way I roll, as the saying puts it.

The guy is a former marine veteran and seems to be a conscientious and hard-working guy. "Semper Fi" is one of his favorite and habitual phrases. I really wish there were something I could do to help him, but it's completely beyond my means and capabilities. Alcohol has completely ruined his life since everything he owns is in that parked truck because he had decided last weekend to move to Black Canyon City to get away from a situation he didn't like where he had been living. I suspect they got fed up with his drunkeness, but I can't know for sure about anything.

Oy Vay! What messes we humans can get ourselves into over a simple chemical and a genetic compulsion to consume it.

It's tragic!