Rebirth

The year was 2000. I had just spent 3 years at a low-paying, dead-end job and equally as much time in an increasingly destructive relationship. At this point I was chain-smoking cigarettes, smoking as much weed and drinking as much alcohol as I could afford...I was rarely sober! This was all due to my feeling that I had hit rock-bottom. Things hadn't work out as I'd planned. Actually... I never really had a plan. I dropped out of high school several years before and I never had any real skills. I am an artist and I draw pretty well, but I never truly pursued a career in art.

So there I was, working in a supermarket deli when I met a "man of God". I didn't know it at first, but the new guy they just hired for the seafood department would eventually change my life. His name was David, I called him Dave. He was quiet and unassuming. I was loud and boisterous (mostly due to the liquor). We worked side-by-side and eventually got pretty well acquainted. One day he asked me if I was "saved", I wasn't sure exactly what that meant but whatever it was, I knew it didn't apply to me. He was aware of my lifestyle and made it clear he didn't approve, though he never judged me. 

The question sparked a debate that actually lasted for several days and got a little heated at one point. He was strong in his convictions and beliefs and I was a man of science, determined to prove him wrong. He tried to convince me that I should give my life over to Christ, but I just kept refusing. After several days of going back and forth he finally said something to me that made sense: "Try it, what's it gonna hurt. If it doesn't work, no harm done. Just keep living your life as you have been. But if it does work...".

A couple of weeks later things got really bad for me. I was fighting with my girlfriend on a daily basis now. I was working less hours and making less money but I was drinking more than ever. I was trying to avoid dealing with the depression that was slowly overtaking me, but this time I couldn't. I was walking to the train station on my way home from work when it hit me..."Try it, what's it gonna hurt".