My trip to the big apple {New York} last weekend was great. I visited the old neighborhood and walked around the same place I did as a young man. I saw an old friend he didn’t look that good but me and Greg another friend who was hanging out with me stopped and spent some time with him. We told him what we did to get ahead and hopefully he will to. The community center where we partied and hung out many times has been converted into a church with still has social activities for the community. For awhile I did feel a little paranoid, but was able to shake it off. I guess I was reminded how terrible life was for me at times when I lived there. I went to Manhattan and walked from 53^rd and 2^nd avenue to Times Square and took a few pictures and bought some good fast food. I also went to a meeting where people discuss their past problems with alcohol and drugs and Picked up my 22 year of sobriety key chain. It felt good to do that for it was a few blocks from there where I had my last drink.  I felt like New York was calling me to move there and work with the people I use to run with. I see more opportunities for guys like me in NY, but I like it down here much more. The traffic and shoot out in the train station I witness is something I don’t miss. However I do like to visit. I also was able to see the Puerto Rican day parade in Manhattan how good it felt to be around the culture and the people I love so much.  I still plan to one day live part time in Puerto Rico.  But my biggest moment was when I saw my old friend who was strung out and living in a world I did 22 years ago. It taught me a great lesson! I’m blessed to be sober and to have lived the good life I have, a life that only in dream I can imagine having when I too was lost in a world of drinking and drugging. It brought much gratitude for I could of easily been him.  My worse day to day is probably a great day for him. It’s just to show you our problems are small when you see others in worse conditions. Though I pray for my old friend and hope our visit to his corner will revise him into what we have become happy, sober, and free.

May your dream come alive in 2013? J

By Tyrone Garcia; Author of the book “Soap That doesn’t Clean”