RETAINING AN ATTITUDE OF ALLOWING

Kevin I came to know some time ago by way of a fellow architect which had Kevin living room and board in his basement apartment.  Kevin was within the army reserves - then something went wrong.  He fell into a situation where he required hospitalization as he fell into deep depressions which lead into a psychosis.  It was all due to the loss of a relationship combined with hitting the bottle.  There were a few of us which kept in touch with him and then lost it. There is a good side to this story…

He was hospitalized for six months and then there after he was overseen by a professional.  He was in the reserves for many years and was always that of the nature of being very smart, intelligent, and tremendously witty.  During his recovery, he stopped everything within his life as well he could not work nor could he do most things and was had to go on welfare.

I never have been into this control element, nor am I now. I find over the years there are those which do want help – and those that don’t want help.  But there is something to be said in doing something for another – Kevin was one of those types.  He was on that verge of living on the street – as he had been drastically impacted by it all and I knew he was that type of person that would so quickly turn to drinking.  Yet there was duration where I saw someone which was brilliant yet in hard trying times and during that time to drop in without calling was probably something which kept him level headed.  After a little bit of time I made arrangements for him to see this security agency only if he would make a few promises.  He had hardly any clothes and I went out and bought him the needs that would get him back into the workplace as.  As the saying goes one thing does lead to another.  I knew the head of the security company as it was one that my father ran while he was in retirement.

I went to the head of this security force and told him the story.  He understood and was open to giving Kevin a try.  Mind you from that point on it was up to Kevin as to if he succeeded or failed.  Kevin ended up doing very well.  He stayed with the security force for a period of five years and then went to South Korea to teach English at the same time he had met a lady which became his wife.  The two of them lived in South Korea and did tremendously.

He came back after three years of teaching English and now works within the local airport here within customs. I ran into him the other day when I was at the airport.  There after we caught up with all that he was doing.  He and his wife separated and are on good terms.  Kevin reinvented his life.  From being hospitalized with a diagnosis after a prolonged period of depression he has come a long ways.  If he didn’t he would not be working within customs.  Now here is one person of the likes of many that had a situation.  Through it all he is no different than anyone else and literally he was in a rut.  There are more than we know that do go through the likes of Kevin.  I would assume during the time that we had together that he and his wife shall be getting back together but the merit of this story is that many I can’t even begin to tell you the trail that this chap went through – but many did walk on by.  There is something to be said for those that do take the time and help out someone when they are in need. Yet he is living proof of the will to achieve.

So often there are people that pass people like Kevin by.  Yet what I have learned is that it merely starts with the aid – not the control of someone that looks beyond and takes things into account.  Kevin lives a full life. Now I did help him out and with no intentions of a need for him return anything back.  But most of all Kevin is one that once given a chance and opportunity he blossomed.  I find more often than not there are many people of this kind which never do get that second chance.  There still is something to be said with for people like Kevin.  There are organizations but I tend to see so many placed into an institutionalized situation and some do get out of it and carry on with life – when they are given that second chance.  I have no problem with indicating the how I helped this person.  Yet at the same time I merely just opened the door and the rest was up to him.

The door opened and Kevin not only walked through them.  He went on to make life work rather than become of the likes of many which have what it takes but some do fall through the cracks and all they need is merely a little help and then they are off encountering life and living it.  The credit isn’t mine as really the credit all goes to one whom decidedly made good choices and turned the page within his life.