Born Broken is the story of my struggle with alcoholism and my journey to recovery. It's the story of growing up in a poor white neighborhood called Okieville with no way out and no hope for a better tomorrow. As you travel through this story with me, you will discover how alcohol took control of my life while I was still young and vulnerable. Yes, most of my struggles stem from chronic alcohol abuse, a disorder that this story will expose for its true nature. It will reveal insights I gained during my battle with this deadly disease. It tells how God grasped my trembling hands one desperate night and summoned me out of the abyss. Since that night, I have been struggling with alcoholism one day and one step at a time.
Born Broken starts during a time when many believed we only gained from life what we earned through will and determination. I view my world from a very different perspective than the one I grew up with. In the 1950's and early 60's, there was a belief that if you received a high school diploma, and if you worked hard enough, you could reach whatever goals you set your mind to. But I was to discover that the path is not that straight. Mine wasn't anyway Sometimes in life things happen for a reason, though that reason may not be apparent.
From the early moments of my birth, everything that happened in my life was inevitable. I needed to experience what I experienced the way that I did. Though I didn't know it at the time, I was on a mission of self-discovery that needed to be accomplished at any cost. This path of self-discovery would have a profound impact on my life, altering its direction many times. This book focuses on lost directions. It is the chronicle of my winding path.
I pray that my story will impart a message of hope and courage to others still suffering from alcoholism. I hope that readers will experience a greater understanding of God's Mercy and Grace, and a greater understanding of their own capabilities. It doesn't matter where you came from in life—it's where you are headed that's important.