I think one of the reasons the Drug Class program works in our schools is that it brings a problem into the open, talks about it, teaches about it and makes getting help OK.
I've told this story hundreds of times but here it is again.
Part 1
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided since the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. So, the farmer invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed shovels, and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, when the donkey realized what was happening, he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, and take a step up on the dirt as it piled up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well, and trotted off!
Lesson 1:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. But each trouble can be a stepping stone. What happens to you isn't nearly as important as how you react to it. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not giving up!
Complaining doesn't help, we have to figure out how to turn things around and make them work for us. Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down; it is how we handle them.
Part 2
The donkey was real happy to get out of the well, pranced around for a little while, then found the farmer and kicked the crap out of him.
Lesson 2:
If you try to cover your ass it will come back to get you.
Part 3
I'm on day 4 in Fort Albany and this community is much like all others, lots of really good people who care about what is going on in their community and a percentage of people who are struggling with substance abuse and addition. This problem, not just here but everywhere, affects everyone, not just those who have the problem. Because there is still shame and stigma attached to addiction we tend to look the other way, not talk about it. What that does is allow it to grow.
The more we bring things into the light and discuss how we can change things the more likely it is that we will come up with a workable solution.
