Drug addict call

I don't know about you but I love the Olympics. I love sports and I love the USA. So this together with the chance of beating communists is ... the ultimate in TV.
So with 12 hours of non stop Olympics and 5 channels to choose from...I am like a kid in a candy store.
I watched the Olympics last night with my wife.
The men's swimming was on late but every time Michael Phelps is on my butt is going to be watching it.
The men's 4x100 freestyle was AWESOME.
No, it was more than awesome it was...well something better than awesome. Like the awesomest.
So if you didn't see this race you missed out on one of the most exciting 4 minutes of sports of all times.
The stage was set by the French being the best in the world (in a sport that the Americans have dominated since the beginning of time) and then they were talking smack. They told the newspapers that they were going to smash the Americans. The FRENCH of all people.
Some of the other things going on was Michael Phelps was in this event and this was one of the 8 events that he was in and if he was able to win gold this would keep the possibility of him winning 8 gold medals. The record is 7 by the the Lance Armstrong of swimming, Mark Spitz.
If he wins eight he would be vaulted to one of the greatest athletes of all time. Oh and he is only 23 years old.
But the commentator was saying he doesn't think the Americans (on paper) could win.
The stage was set. "Take your mark...beep."
They were winning after the first leg of the relay, then it was close, then the French got a lead just before the last leg. Oh... and then the last leg for the French was their best guy. He was winning by more than a second. But the American was holding his own and then started to gain on him...OMG, a half a lap to go and the American is gaining. 10 yards to go and he is still gaining...OMG...2 yards to go and they are neck and neck.
Americans won by .07 seconds.
Hilda is jumping up and down in the living room, we are slapping five.
It was the awesomest.

So all my movies are waiting for me and they are going to have to wait until after the Olympics.

Now to my unbelievable story....

Last Saturday I got a call.
Let me digress a second. I get about 5 calls a year on the weekends. I almost never have to go to the office (dentist office in Apopka). I am up to it though. I leave my cell number on my answering machine at work.
I work 4 days a week but I am a dentist 7 days a week. If people need me I can spare the hour.

I got a call while I was sitting on the couch watching baseball. I couldn't get to my phone in time so I called the person back (they left a message but I just called the number back before I listened to the message).
She introduced herself as a patient and told me that had a son that got some teeth knocked around.
Usually it is a kid and an accident. At this point I would jump in the car and meet them at the office.
This was a different scenario. I could hear the son in the background. He was a son but he was a man.
I could hear him in the background yelling at his mom, "Tell him the black people (he used the N word, but I don't even like saying this word) kicked my ass!"
We are trying hard to have a conversation and he keeps yelling, "Tell him the black people kicked my ass."
I told her I would call my associate and see if she could help. She lives a half a mile from the office and I live 15 miles (also she wants this kind of stuff).
I told the mom I would call her back.
My associate was going on vacation and I was thinking she might still be in town. She was not.
At this time I listen to my voice mail.
I saved it...it was hilarious (hilarious in a sad way). He says, "Yeah (in a voice like you just woke up from a huge night of drinking) , your message at office says if you needed emergency dental care to call you. Now I am calling you and you are not there. My mom is a good patient at your office and you are no where the f--- around." Real nice.
Needless to say I am not thrilled with this dude at this point.
I called the mom back and I told her if his teeth are all messed up they could go to the emergency room and there would be an oral surgeon on call. He or she would put his teeth back together.
She asked if I can tell him that.
He got on the phone. I told him that. He says, "Why can't you do it?"
I am really bad at confrontation. I mean really bad.
My father is worse than me so I blame him.
But as I get older, I am really trying to be loving to people but tell people how I feel.

I said, "Look, I just got your message and it I was offended. I can tell you if it was me and I needed someone to help me I would certainly be a lot kinder on the phone."
He said, "Look dude, (still in the way hung over voice) if I apologize will you come in and help me?"
I said you don't have to apologize but in the future you should be nice and sure as hell more respectful to the people who could possibly help you."
Well, I guess he was holding it in as long as he could.
He starts with the, "My f---ing mother has spent f---ing thousands of dollars at your place and you won't even f---ing help us."
I told him I never said that.
He kept going, he said, "I know what it is you... have too much money."
Yeah, you make too much f---ing money that is what it is. You don't need my mom's f---ing money."
I said, "See this is what I am talking about."
He said, "F--- you, f--- you" and he hung up.
WOW!!!

This was unbelievable. I went back to watching baseball.
But you know what... I feel bad.
I don't feel bad for the son/man. I feel bad for the mother. I am sitting here still feeling bad for the mother.
The mother who has a drug addict adult son.
He probably went to buy some drugs and talked to the drug dealers the way he spoke to me.
Now he gets beat up and then calls mommy.
The mother that he probably has stole from. The mother that he has probably has spit at. The mother who has dropped thousands of dollars on his habit and and thousands more trying to get him in to rehab, hoping one day that he will stop.
What an awful situation.

We all have someone like this in our family.
Maybe not immediate family, like me, but extended family, and it always the same story.
Have you ever watched that show Intervention. It is an unbelievable show.
Some of the drug addicts just don't want help. They still don't recognize a problem. They haven't hit rock bottom enough to want to get helped up.
The families are in misery and the addict is spinning out of control.
I had 4 minutes with this family and I have not stopped thinking of the mom. I still haven't called her back yet.
I don't want to get involved. I am not trained. I could get sucked in. I have my own problems.
These are the excuses I use to justify NOT calling.
I think they are pretty good ones.

I could go on for days on my thought on this, but this blog is getting long, thanks to Michael Phelps.
I will talk to you on Wednesday.
john


Ps There has been a comment wanting to know about my wife. She is doing pretty good. It hase been about two weeks. We went to church yesterday and this was a big step because you know you are going to have to talk to everyone about it. The people at our church have been great. Time has been healing this wound, as well as a lot of prayer.
We went to the doctor today and he said everything was fine with us and it was just a freak thing.
This has given her some closer.
Thanks for asking. I so appreciate you all, even though you didn't come to my lecture.
I have not forgotten about that.
I have to go this is too long as it is.