The Long-Awaited Return is Near!


No... Not "Him"...but Ric.
(Though Ric may think he is the Messiah, he, undoubtedly is most certainly not!)

He should be "set free" on the 14th.

His friend Scott in Indiana and I have been postulating what he will be like when he returns.

Scott remembers first-hand, a few years back, when Ric had underwent out-patient program for drug addiction (crack cocaine). Ric became all "Holier Than Thou" and chided his family and friends who were continuing to be "users" of their "drug of choice". He was a Born-Again prohibitionist and felt everyone in the whole world should take on the challenge of ridding themselves of drugs and alcohol like he had been so victorious in doing.

I empathize with the feeling of superiority on achieving a milestone re-invention of habits and personality. As indicated in the last FLASHBACK, I too had underwent a similar transformation over a decade ago, though not with the assistance of faith-based brainwashing and 12-step program psudo-psychology. I did it by sheer willpower. Since I did it alone, I thought myself pretty close to being God. My, how my facade as tumbled over the years...I now see how powerless I really was and continue to be.

But anyways (as we say in "Woonsock-ET", the Franco-Canadian-New England dialect of my humble hometown), Scott thinks he will again don his shiny halo and attempt to be the Carrie Nation of Lake Mary, bestowing words of his Wisdom heavily laden with misdirected blame, faultless conceit, AA slogans and Bible Belt Ol' Time Religion.

I have been talking to him at least 3 times a week by phone, of course, so I'm not too sure. I've seen Ric on one of his Wagon Rides before and frankly, although he hasn't said so directly, I don't think he's apt to change a thing. In fact, I predict he will have a nice big blow-out on the evening of his release and will likely be hitting almost every bar he hasn't been banned from in town!

I better call the Coors Brewing Company and have them make extra deliveries of Coors Light to the neighborhood watering holes. They're going to need to be well stocked!

You see, he will be released on the 14th. His next court date when he presents the physician assessed results of his month-long stay, and, when, subsequently, he will have the remaining bits and pieces of his sentence imposed, will be the 28th. That gives him 2 weeks of "Last Days of Pompeii". He's still off on LOA from work 'till December. Let the Bachnalia reign! This is how Ric thinks. Once the sentence is handed down, then we may see the Second Coming of the Lord of Sobriety!

Soon we will know which Ric is to emerge.

So very soon....