Note: I found this Testimony in my hard drive and want to share it, esp. for Tanya B.!
I posted it on top in the blog so I would be readily available for newcomers,
but note the date: 6-24-05. I need to do an update but this will hold for now.
Keep coming back! ~Love, Peta
~ Friday, June 24, 2005 ~
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
~ John 8:32 {King James Version}
I was born an infant babe without sin: pure, innocent and ignorant, into a sinful wicked world on November 15, 1951 one heavy stormy night in Sacramento, California.
I was born unto two beautiful loving parents, Pete Macias Lopez and Ella Perez Lopez, in a large Mexican-American family, the oldest son of four children. I have one older Sister Linda, whom I called 'Lala' as a child; and two younger Brothers named Steven and my 'Baby Brother Bobby' {aka: Tata}. My Madre claimed that she had no birth pains with me, though, I made up for that initial painlessness in the coming years in different ways with pain, torment and suffering.
I will be kind and spare you the long convoluted crazy version of my olde drunken-dope-a-log of war stories and sob stories. Trust me, it is a long twisted tale on a winding wild road that came close to a literal dead-end a few times. One must learn from the past, remember its lessons, then, move on!
I was a real classic textbook case of the demonic destructive nature of drug-substance addiction, especially with the family plague of alcoholism. Let’s just say that I know now that, for me, alcohol and other forms of street dope are poisons to me with no positive benefit! Plus, I suspect I have a case of mild OCD {Obsessive Compulsive Disorder} and am really poly-addicted. In my mid-40's, I bounced from the plague of alcohol to crank, then, back to alcohol on my last big binge. However, I still smoke tobacco and that kills more than any other drug!
My whole original cultural environment was being raised in an Amerikan inner-city neighborhood called 'Barrio Cinco' near Southside Park. I believe my family and origin, early cultural environment were big factor into my becoming a drunk-dope fiend in my later years. Plus, I am from a big extended family and growing up some of them played in a Mexican-Latino band. So we had plenty of booze and party time atmosphere around us. No big deal!
When the 1960’s hit the scent of armed revolution was in the air. Many of us got into the marijuana gateway. I started dropping hits of mescaline and acid. All along the way I was drinking alcohol = my original demonic drug-of-choice. No big deal!
In the summer of 1976, I lost my wife to my best friend and could not see my young son Camilo then, I had an errie ‘shaman’ experience of a nervous breakdown. I attempted suicide with a full overdose of my meds {Haldol and Congentin}. I was in a three-day coma when all my vital systems were monitored. The Priest read the Last Rites over me. The doctors said only a miracle could save me. On the third day I awoke.
During the 80’s I worked in various positions, organized fun parties and kept going back and forth to the liquor store.
Fast Forward: In the mid-90s, I lost my good job off an alcohol binge and thought I would be the ideal crank dealer because I had never gotten into it before. Good concept; bad idea!
Finally, being homeless I went into the downtown Salvation Army Homeless Shelter for a tour of duty and ended up working there for about two years.
In 1997, I started going to CASA Meetings (Christians Against Substance Addiction) and inherited my CASA Ministry. I then quit my job at Sally’s to go work at Volunteers of America {VOA} Detox (CATC- Comprehensive Alcohol Treatment Center). Good concept, bad idea.
That ol’ cunning Dictator Alcohol snuck up on me with one beer bottle after a hard day’s work. I eventually got fired from Detox due to absenteeism, lost my hideout 'home' and went back into Sally’s on May 15, 2000.
From August 2000 to July 2002 I was at Mather Community Campus {MCC} in Sacramento County on a former U.S. Air Force Base. MCC is a great 2-year HUD transitional housing & employment program for homeless people. We were all from the local homeless shelter system and most were in quality recovery from one addiction or set of issues or another. One day at a time.
I achieved over two years clean while at MCC, but when I moved back into my ol' barrio by Southside Park Downtown Sacra. I had gotten married while at MCC wearing my Captain Save-A-Ho Cape, but after my short-lived wife Sheila and I moved out I got back into drinking. On July 24 ~ Cuban Liberation Day ~ she quit her job, abandoned me and escaped up to Portland, Oregon. I kept on drinking and gradually drifted away back into my alcoholism.
Long story short, I kept drinking, got a couple of gigs as a Care Worker with In-Home Support Services, then, I was living with and renting a room from my friend Barbara, who also was my patient. She had to move to a smaller place with her Son Scott and it was time to move on. I moved back into the Salvation Army Shelter on July 24, 2004 = my new sobriety date. Thereupon I re-started CASA-12 Steps, as it too had suffered a kind of relapse, then, after about 8+ months I moved out with a former lover now new Sister In Christ named Annabelle {aka: Geri} Lopez. I now share a two-bedroom with her and her son. Her and I are not intimate in the sexual realm, but we do care for each other in a rather peculiar relationship. One day at a time.
Nowadays, I am addicted, strictly in the sense of being devoted, to my CASA Ministry of helping homeless addicts seeking recovery via the Word of God's Holy Word. I am now employed by Office Depot as my wage-slave job and continue to work on what I term my personal social liberation with a future vision of building up a truly humane liberation movement from within the confines of Fascist Amerika.
My over-arching life-theme is daily sobriety, continued progressive recovery and humane liberation for all repressed people on Mother Earth.
Today is June 24, 2005 and as of now I have one complete year of sanity, serenity and sobriety. I am a recovered drug substance addict. Just for today. Tomorrow we’ll see.
"Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."
~ Proverbs 27:1 {King James Version}
Humanely Yours For Christ ~~
Peter S. Lopez {AKA: Peta}
Sacra, Califas, Aztlan
c/s
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CASA Online Home Page Link~~
http://groups.msn.com/CASAHOMEPAGE/
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06-24-05
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CASA-12-Steps/
http://casa-12steps.blogspot.com/2007/03/casa-personal-testimony-of-peter-s.html#links
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