{"id":601,"date":"2009-01-25T08:33:03","date_gmt":"2009-01-25T12:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/?p=601"},"modified":"2009-01-25T12:04:47","modified_gmt":"2009-01-25T16:04:47","slug":"down-and-out-in-south-carolina-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/?p=601","title":{"rendered":"Down and Out in South Carolina – part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last months of 2008 and on into 2009 I have been involved in some eye-open experiences.\u00c2\u00a0 They have not just been eye-opening.\u00c2\u00a0 They have been mixed with a flood of emotions that range from despair to hope, to anger and to hope again. \u00c2\u00a0 They have been in a world where I am not accustomed to being. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

I had decided I needed to pen my thoughts about this after it was all over.\u00c2\u00a0 However, I have concluded this will be a very lengthy process full of ups and downs. I will begin sharing my experiences now.\u00c2\u00a0 Call it a series.\u00c2\u00a0 Call it depressing.\u00c2\u00a0 Call it a screwed up mess. \u00c2\u00a0Call it hopeful.\u00c2\u00a0 Call it life. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

But for the grace of God any one of us could be there. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This is a story of a simple SC man.\u00c2\u00a0 A country boy, if you will.\u00c2\u00a0 Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say his name is Jerry.\u00c2\u00a0 I want to keep his story intact without revealing his real name.\u00c2\u00a0 He wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care, mind you.\u00c2\u00a0 He wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand why I would want to tell his story.\u00c2\u00a0 After all, he is a simple man. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Jerry thrived as a youngster in upper SC.\u00c2\u00a0 He went to school and played baseball like you or your children probably did.\u00c2\u00a0 He went to public school like most of us. He had a first love, a second and a third.\u00c2\u00a0 He graduated from high school.\u00c2\u00a0 He went to technical school and studied drafting.\u00c2\u00a0 He started to work in construction and became a master craftsman. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Jerry is a hard and dedicated worker.\u00c2\u00a0 His bosses saw his abilities as sharp.\u00c2\u00a0 They saw his dedication to the trade as a rarity.\u00c2\u00a0 After all, many of the folks he worked beside were not nearly as dedicated or skilled. \u00c2\u00a0 He is the kind of man everyone would want to have on their construction team. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

He goes through life with that skill as his partner.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the one thing he can count on in an otherwise challenging world.\u00c2\u00a0 His marriage lasts through the birth and early years of a daughter.\u00c2\u00a0 He has an adopted son through marriage.\u00c2\u00a0 The love fades away and divorce was the clear choice. His skills, however, continue to grow and thrive in the workplace. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

When he thinks, and he does a great deal of that at night after work, he is angry.\u00c2\u00a0 Angry that he had to share a room with a grandmother growing up.\u00c2\u00a0 Angry that his father didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t come to see him at his baseball ballgames because he worked 17 hour days – seven days a week. Angry that he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t finish that last course at school to complete his degree in drafting.\u00c2\u00a0 Angry that his relationships didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to work.\u00c2\u00a0 Angry that his family had to move near Duke University Hospital for over a year while he had several experimental eye surgeries.\u00c2\u00a0 Angry that he had only one kidney because the other had to be removed when he was a child.\u00c2\u00a0 He cursed the welfare system saying those folks were all just deadbeats and he would never, never be a part of that.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153He would always have money because he can make a good living.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 he said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There is plenty of work out there for people who are willing to work hard.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Jerry looked for comfort where he could find it.\u00c2\u00a0 His favorite was in the bottle.\u00c2\u00a0 He began to drink and, before long, he was hooked.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153 It was a family trait.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Someone had to carry on the tradition.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 His grandmother, his father, and now – him.\u00c2\u00a0 He knew of the likelihood he could follow in their footsteps.\u00c2\u00a0 After all, the tendencies can run in a family. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

All that said, Jerry had a good job and could pay for the habit.\u00c2\u00a0 He didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let it stop him from going to work and doing a good job.\u00c2\u00a0 He even had enough to get some occasional \u00e2\u20ac\u0153recreational\u00e2\u20ac\u009d drugs – something that enhanced the effects of the alcohol. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

He found himself living a fairly decent life for a simple country boy. He had a stable job with good friends surrounding him.\u00c2\u00a0 He had a roof over his head, food on the table and money to get what he needed. \u00c2\u00a0Life wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t so bad.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

So what could cause him to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153down and out in South Carolina?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

join me next time\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

My wish for you toda<\/span>y<\/span> is that you stop to give thanks for the many blessings you have. \u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~ Joellen<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last months of 2008 and on into 2009 I have been involved in some eye-open experiences.\u00c2\u00a0 They have not just been eye-opening.\u00c2\u00a0 They have been mixed with a flood of emotions that range from despair to hope, to anger and to hope again. \u00c2\u00a0 They have been in a world where I am […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,16,50],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conflicts","category-life-events","category-personal-challenges"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/601\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reflectionsfromacountrygirl.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}