Marcus grew up in the Baltimore area, playing lacrosse at a local private high school. In the off-season he and his buddies got bored and began with alcohol, marijuana and pills on the weekends.
But by graduation, Marcus started isolating and using almost daily.
He had a gift for the visual arts – drawing, painting and sculpture – but it wasn’t his passion. So he went to college and majored in art education because it would be easy and he’d have more time to party. And he didn’t have to isolate and use at college because it seemed to him everyone did it, so Marcus felt comfortable there.
Despite a terrible GPA, he earned his degree and stayed in his college town teaching art to children and adults. But it wasn’t any fun!
He tried other jobs but, no longer in the midst of the college scene, he felt left out. Marcus isolated some more and his habit continued to grow.
Finally moving back to Baltimore, he found a job and a dealer who hooked him up with pills. They decided to room together and before long Marcus had a $300-a-day habit. Marcus did lots of things he’s not proud of today.
Eventually Marcus went for detox at a local hospital. He told mom and said he wanted long-term recovery.
But when he started feeling better and the hospital discharged him, Marcus had money in his pocket and car keys in hand. Heading out he ran into his mother!
Seeing he was being discharged she said, “Come jump in my car and I’ll treat you to lunch.” As she drove, they talked. And before Marcus realized it, they were at Helping Up Mission.
She had a bag of his clothes in the back seat and said, “Here, you’ll want this” and dropped him off! Mom out-fiended a dope-fiend!
That was six months ago. Marcus settled in here with a good group of guys working their recovery and he feels great. He’s thinking grad school now, too.
I’m betting this time it’s going to be different!
It’ll work for Marcus…one day at a time.
Pastor Gary Byers
Deputy Director