There But For The Grace Of…God?

At one point in my career I worked with convicted felons who were either on probation or parole. Most of them had been ordered to do some kind of substance abuse program, and it was my job to refer them to the appropriate treatment program. I’ve never been an addict, nor am I naive enough to think that a person is going to stop using drugs just because a judge or releasing body has told them they have to stop. But I wanted to do the best I could for them, so I talked with a lot of them about their addictions, so I could get some kind of understanding as to what they felt and why they did it. I talked with AA/NA facilitators and substance abuse counselors, and even have a copy of the “little blue book” somewhere in my possession.

I recently read The Third Step by author William Lobb, and it gave me a look into addiction that far surpassed anything I had ever heard from anyone I ever talked with. It was one of those books that, even though I couldn’t relate to the main character, Frankie’s, need for pills and alcohol, I could find other things to relate with. This was one of those books that I found myself losing sleep over, because the deeper Frankie went, the deeper I went, too. I just didn’t want to stop reading. In a review I posted, I said that any one of us could be Frankie. We all have our gods and our demons. Frankie’s may have just been one and the same. The ultimate internal battle between good and evil.

Frankie danced with the devil while trying to gain an understanding of who he thought God was to others and himself. Did he figure it out? I strongly suggest you read it for yourself and find out. This is a great book that will make you wonder, at times, if it is fiction or biography. William Lobb has written what he knows. I’m glad he has put that part of his life behind him, and has written this deep insight into addiction and human condition.