We all are leaves of the same earth.
We all drink the same water.
We all share the wholeness
bowl by bowl.

​Veronica Silvia Rosso

In a picturesque setting of café tables and a lovely blue sky with a soft canopy of trees, I sat with my hot tea and fresh scone safely tucked away in a corner for some real quiet time away.  The hustle and bustle behind me of waiters shuffling orders, plates and customers sounded only like a gentle buzz of a soft fall breeze until, the table directly behind me filled with what sounded like at least 4 siblings.  They quickly seated but, their conversation I found captivating; and hence, I became a silent observer unwilling to turn around and join, it was not my place, and so I listened in.

A soft-spoken woman said, “Bud, you were always Dad’s favorite, he took you on every special vacation, hunting trip and firm outing!”

My tea cup steaming hot, I stirred it gently and listened intently.

“No Willow!  That’s not true, I was the oldest and the rest of you were either sick or too busy with sports or, needed to stay behind and help mom.” – I could feel the temperature rise as this strong masculine voice of Bud echoed through the café.

“That’s enough, we’re here to honor Mom and Dad today so let’s all play nice and place our orders.” A feminine and older voice who I presumed to be another sibling.  I’ll call Cherrie.
I sipped my tea and took the corner of the freshly baked maple scone and savored them together in a moment of calm, I chewed and swallowed, my attention unwavering.

Hovering over an order of several lattes, coffees, quiches, muffins and scones they continued deep into their conversation.

I heard some rustling behind me but dared not turn around as I heard Cherrie discuss the purpose of their gathering was to honor their parents.   I heard a loud thud of what sounded like a large briefcase landing on the table.  Something was brewing!  Cherie continued, “Stored herein are the family treasures locked away until today, as executor of Mom and Dad’s estate and in honor of their passing we must do this together”.

“I’m not ready to do this!” Willow sobbed, “They left us too early, this isn’t fair!”

The sun beamed in as I heard the voice of Bud comfort his sister and say, “It was their time and they weren’t afraid. They went together and peacefully in the night.”

My tea settled and cooled. I added a touch of honey and removed the loose leaf filter.   I stirred it gently and took a bite out of the soft center of my scone.

Cherrie went on about her business and began to reference the trunk on the table as I heard what sounded like her fingers tapping it.  “These are family matters which must be addressed in honor of our parents, so out of respect we must continue forward”.

A fourth male voice chimed in that he went out on a limb getting here with a lengthy commute and that the football game began at 4pm and he needed to get home to watch it.

This set off swirling windstorm of comments from anger, fear, jealousy and self-worth, it sounded like a table of toddlers fighting.  My napkin blew off the table as a windstorm ensued, I almost turned around to pick it up and to help placate the situation but, fortunately they regrouped, and Cherrie opened the briefcase.

"As the executor, I hereby declare on behalf of the Estate, the following, to all my beloved children: Bud, Willow, Elmer and Maple":

Some beliefs serve us, while others do not.
It is our job to discern when to hold on to those which serve us well and,
when to let go of others when they no longer serve a purpose and hold us back.

Release all fear, resentment, guilt and criticism
Reclaim and take your power back.
Do not give your power away and rustle only within the winds of your own circumstances!

Dance in your freedom of choice!
Let go of old ways
Each moment is a new beginning
A rebirth!

Truncated, beliefs are temporary as they sprout and flourish
Only to be released at the right time
As new ones emerge.

We are not our beliefs,
nor, are we are thoughts
just as the tree is not its leaves!

We must surrender and let go
with each season
only to awaken, return and emerge
to our Standing Trunk of Truth
with new Buds of hope
and lessons of the past
behind us.

We are always with you
and have never left you.
Branch beyond!

All fell silent.  And, a wind of change washed over and through me.
I mustered the courage and put down my fear.  I turned around and the café was empty! 

I noticed that over the table directly behind me hung an old jagged brown branch with 4 leaves swooning over it with an oak tree trunk adjacent the circular white table.  Each leaf suspended was uniquely colored and shaped, somehow different to the oak tree but, somehow, they hung together!  I swallowed my fear and, the long red oak leaf spiraled and spun toward the ground while the other three seemed to wave goodbye!

I stumbled back to my chair and sat down.  I reached for my mug and looked down and into it and saw the same 4 shapes resting there!  Flavor filled!   My heart blossomed, and my tears swelled, like a fresh cup of tea made from the wisdom of the leaves of yesterday.  I drank in the miracle of the moment and, let it all seep in.

My name is Jayme and I am a drug addict. My sobriety date is June 20, 2013. I have a long history with substance abuse. Not just with the using part, but also with trying to get sober. Getting sober this time was vastly different than the other times that I had tried. This time around, I was a broken shell of a human being, with no direction. There was a little flicker of hope, that maybe I could have more from life. The most crucial factor was that I believed with all my heart, that if I did not get sober that my addiction would be the cause of my death. The disease of addiction is a bitch, and it takes lives of good people all too soon, every day.

It is all too common that people think of drug addicts and alcoholics as the homeless people  living under bridges, drinking out of brown paper bags. I am guilty of having that perception as well. That idea of what it looked like to be an alcoholic kept me questioning the true nature of my addiction, for a long time. I knew to some degree, when I first started drinking and using drugs, that there was a slight chance that I didn’t use substances like “normal” people. I thought that until I met all  the “requirements” that I, in fact, was not an addict.  However, if  you were to ask any member of my family, they would have told  you otherwise, and that it was no secret. 

One thing that I have learned from my experience is that “hitting rock bottom” means something different from person to person. Not just from person to person, but also for one person’s rock bottom to the next. In my opinion, there are many different forms of “rock bottom.” Someone’s “rock bottom” can be spiritual, emotional, physical, or psychological.  I, myself, have experienced many different forms of “rock bottom.”  Certainly, all of the boxes had been  checked off by the time I was admitted into treatment five years ago.

By the time I had checked into rehab, once again, I felt so lost and so confused as to how I got to where I was. But the one thing I had going for me was willingness to do the work and follow suggestions of people who had done this before. I had blind faith that I would be able to hustle through whatever it was that was causing me to seek happiness from substances. I had done the work many times previous, each time, it was around something different. The core issue was never what was talked about. It was more “situational” things that had happened, or some sort of trauma, if you will. This time was different. The 60 days that I spent in inpatient treatment were focused on things I didn’t talk about much- mostly my childhood and my adoption. The more I talked about things, the more it all started to make sense. I am not going to get into the details of what my therapy sessions looked like, because that is something that I hold very sacred. But I can tell you, that for once in my life I was able to see why I was the way I am and why I chose to do the things I was doing.

Since I have been sober for five years now, I have experienced “the box” that people put addicts and alcoholics in. I got sober in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a city riddled with addiction. It is a problem or epidemic that is starting to affect so many people. I feel like the stigma around addicts is slowly starting to change, but only because people are willing to speak up about it and inform the general public. Addicts are not degenerates, or people who aren’t worth saving. In fact, addicts are good people who have just made some bad choices or been in bad situations. Welcome to being a human being! Part of being human is making mistakes. What separates the addict from the non-addict is that the addict’s brain, which is in charge of making decisions, is the same organ that is affected by the disease. As you might guess, that complicates things a bit.

I have also learned over the last five years, that addicts tend to  fall short in learning key life skills. When I first got sober, I knew how to do chores. I knew how to make appointments. I knew how to handle the “checklist” of things. What I didn’t know how to do was to manage my stress and how to stick to my commitments. My parents had instilled a solid moral compass, so I didn’t struggle with what was right from wrong, but I struggled with wanting to choose to do the right thing because it was the right thing to do. I liked to push things to see what I could get away with. Ultimately, I had to learn what it means to want to do the right thing simply because I wanted to feel like a good person. Feeling like a good person was something I hadn’t felt in a long time, so to say it was uncomfortable is an understatement.

Now that I have a few years abstinence from drugs and alcohol, I can say clear headed that I am still not always happy with the person I am. The difference now is that I choose to use that feeling as a motivation to be a better person tomorrow. Life in sobriety has been a new lesson every day, as I think life should be. I am able to experience the things I am supposed to and learn the lessons that are intended for me to learn each day. I am a huge believer that the Universe is talking to us and showing us where we are intended to be, it’s just a matter of learning to listen and trust that I am where I am supposed to be.

I have gone through both good and bad experiences while being sober, but gratefully none of which I thought would be “better” if I got high again. One  of the most important things I have learned since getting sober is, that no matter what comes my way, I’ll be okay and be able to survive it. I have gone through heartache and experienced many losses, but the blessing and the reality is that me using drugs to escape the pain was not going to help either. I felt everything I needed to feel and allowed myself to do so without judgement. Grieving is hard for anyone, addict or not, but I am at a place in my life where I think it’s a painful, yet necessary, process. I choose to believe that there is a lesson with any gain or loss, that it’s just a part of life. I know my time here isn’t permanent, but I’ve made a conscious choice to experience as much as I can before I go. I have to remind myself each day that this is my choice. No one can be held accountable for what I do, except for me- so choose wisely.

Ever since I got sober, I have made the choice to not let the label, “addict” hinder my self-esteem. If anything, I take pride in that. My past is not what defines me, my past is what has helped me get to where I am today. Because of my past, I don’t feel like I have any room to judge people. Sure, I’ve had the awkward conversation with people like, “Let’s get a drink” or “You should come over for a beer.” Anyone who knows me, knows that I am the first to respond with “Thanks, but I don’t drink.” Since I live in Salt Lake City which many people think of as a Mormon state (not 100% true), many people say back “Oh sorry, are you Mormon or something?” I’ve also gotten the “Oh, are you pregnant?” response as well. I find it funny that some people think only religious or pregnant women are the only people on this Earth who don’t drink. I simply reply, “No, I just don’t drink, I am in recovery.” I’ve had weird looks and I’ve had great responses.  Either way it won’t change my answer.
           
I find it empowering to be a woman in sobriety. I have overcome so many different obstacles in my life- emotional, physical, and psychological. I like to think that because I am in recovery, I’ve been given the chance to learn what it takes to be an honest, accountable, and kind person; a lesson which many people will never get to learn. I wish everyone took the time to learn to not be an asshole and also what it means to be accountable for your actions. Sadly, I have met many people in sobriety too that are not happy, honest, or accountable people. Recovery is an everyday process, it’s like the checks and balancing system. I have to check in with myself many times a day to see how I’m really feeling and what I need to do to fix it. Like I said, some days I’m not so great at it and I get grumpy or passive-aggressive., Some days I even become aggressive. But when I lay down to go to bed, I take the time to reflect on my day and then ask myself, “How do I do better tomorrow?” It’s nice when the answer to that question is merely “eat lunch earlier.” It gets less desirable when the answer is “apologize to that person and ask them how you can make it up to them.” But I do it because I know that if I don’t I could be jeopardizing my happiness.
           
As a person in recovery, I’ve experienced the stigma of what people generally think being a drug addict means. The main reason I don’t allow myself to get caught up in that is because I know I’ve worked my ass off for this life. I’ve built it myself and no one can ever take that away from me. No one is worth me ever feeling like I did the day I walked into treatment. That is something that I tell my clients to this day. We’ve been taught, both in treatment and in 12-step based programs, that resentments are the fuel to someone’s addiction. “Resentments keep you sick” is what we’re told, and in my experience, it’s proven to be true.
           
The best part of being in recovery is gaining the trust back from my family. Earning their trust was one thing, but I don’t know if they will ever be relieved of the fear of me using again. Some of the hardest work about getting sober is realizing the pain and wreckage that you’ve caused with the people who you care about most. My sister told me on our first phone call while I was in treatment, “I don’t know what you want me to say, I don’t need you as a sister anymore.” That was her reply to me telling her that I loved her. To most people that would sound harsh, but unfortunately, for us, that was reality. Every member of my immediate family had grieved me, in preparation for that dreaded phone call none of them wanted. It was necessary for them to heal as well and to be able to move forward in their lives. I took no offense to it, I needed to hear that. I needed people to be black and white with the brutal honesty of the situation I had created for myself, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to heal had they not.
           
My mom has a shadow box that she had engraved with my sobriety date on it, we add my chip to it each year. I’m not and didn’t get sober for my family, I got sober for me, but I give her a chip each year so hopefully she knows that she is a huge part of my recovery and a valued relationship that I don’t want to lose again. My dad has come with me almost every year to pick up a chip. The chips may be free and they may be so small, but they hold so much meaning to me. Those chips represent all the blood, sweat and tears that went into me getting and staying sober.
           
Although the chips represent much to me, I don’t pick them up  so that the people in the meeting can sing me happy birthday and praise me.  And it for sure, is not because I love speaking in front of a room full of people about me. I go pick up those chips because I want the “newcomer” to see that it is possible for people to get and stay sober and have the life that they deserve. So many people talk about how great sobriety is and how they have a great job, pay rent, and are driving legally. For the past few years, I have shared the good, bad and the ugly. I stand up in front of all those people and say, “This is not easy, but it’s do-able.” I’ve stood in front of meetings and said, “My last year was the worst year of my life, and not just since I’ve been sober.” I do it because I believe that people have the capacity to change if they want to, but just because they make that change doesn’t mean that life is  easy from then on.
           
​I work in treatment and have since I got sober. It’s a very hard environment to work in, but what keeps me going is that people were there for me when I was a client. I feel honored to be a part of their journey, even if they don’t stay sober. It reminds me on a daily basis what it looks like and feels like to be six months sober and how confusing, frustrating and uncertain it is. I need to be reminded of that every day, because even though I may have stayed sober for the last five years, that doesn’t mean that I am any farther away from drinking or using than my clients are. It’s a constant reminder  of how important it is for me to take care of myself. The only difference between my clients and me is that my brain has healed a little more than theirs and that I have a little more practice in doing the things that they are learning to do. If I fall short on taking care of myself, I can and will end up back where they are.
           
I hope that this chapter about my experience with addiction and recovery  has helped you understand what it’s like. Addiction is a disease of the brain but it’s possible for someone to learn to live a long, healthy, happy, and meaningful life. I hope that people start asking questions and learning about addiction. Way too many families are being affected by it today, but it is a very real, serious issue and so many people are still struggling.
           
​If you are one of those people who are struggling with mental illness or addiction, please reach out for help.

Jayme Vieweg is a recovering addict who has been clean since June 20, 2013.  She's always happy to have coffee with any "normie" attending a 12-step open meeting.

As we look at the world today, we see people becoming more divided, separate and isolated. People are often viewed as stereotypes or labels rather than as living, breathing individuals. While empathy and compassion are certainly alive in the human heart, they seem much less prized in our society. Fortunately, empathy can be learned, and it can be enhanced. This is our goal, to open hearts and build empathy and compassion for all people - no matter who they are, what they believe, or where they come from.

Imagine for just one moment, that you could meet someone who has a very different world view than you. This might be a person who doesn’t see you as  equal due to your race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion or citizenship. That someone is your “Other.”  You might label your “Other” as ignorant, as bigoted, homophobic, fundamentalist, crippled, old or misogynist.  Or you might identify “Others” as “coloreds,” aliens, bleeding hearts, FemiNazis, terrorists or perverts.  In reality the “Other” is simply the way that people tend to view those who are dissimilar and separate from their group. Long ago, this type of classification provided protection from our enemies. It was an “us” versus “them” mentality. The “Other” quickly became a group of people who were treated as objects or animals. It becomes a way to limit opportunity, restrict personal expression or promote rape, assault or bulling.  History reports the worst of humanity uses this idea as an excuse for genocide, mutilation, harassment, imprisonment and oppression.  The “Other,” therefore, can become anyone who is NOT part of society’s most powerful, influential and dominant group. Today this duality makes the world more fearful, more divisive and more “tribal.” As long as there is an "Other," we will continue to strive for unity, community and peace.

My guess is that you can probably identify a group or groups treated in this society as the “Other.” Perhaps you find yourself in one of these groups, and often feel vilified as the “Other.”  Or perhaps you know who your “Other” is. What if you could have a conversation with your “Other”?  Not a scream fest or a confrontation, but a true discussion in which you could share your life with someone who sees the world in a very different way and has no real understanding of your own life experience.
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How might you share your life story in a way to build compassion and understanding? How might you share your story in a way that could potentially build a bridge to unity? What if you could have this conversation in a very civilized and safe environment where you don’t need to fear hostility, confrontation or reprisal – an afternoon tea perhaps? Such is the topic of Heart Symbol Publishing’s first ebook, Tea with the “Other.”  This book will be a compilation of personal essays, poems and art; which while hopefully heartfelt and empowering, will also share the reality of being discriminated against, harassed, feared or bullied.

You can find all the specific requirements in the "about" section on this page. In the meantime, start collecting your life experiences so you can share your Truth with the world! Remember that in this project your audience will be your “Other.” But in doing so, you also must recognize that they also see you as the “Other” too!  As we begin to accept submissions, you may find some appearing here on this blog.  Perhaps some will even become testimonials shared as videos over social media. Together we can start to break down the wall of divisiveness that encircles us all!  

Kathy Shimpock
"The Other," SoulCollage card, 2016