The Thirteenth Step
by
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“Ouch! Can you loosen these?” I asked holding back my tears. The policeman kept his eyes forward and ignored my complaints. Little beads of sweat rolled down his thick neck. It was May 31st and an extremely hot afternoon. The back of my legs stuck to the plastic back seat. The officer had an aura of arrogance. His adrenalin was high and his testosterone was even higher. I couldn’t understand what satisfaction he got from humiliating and abusing me in front of my daughter and the other five students that were in the van.
The back of my legs were soaked with sweat. I tried to wiggle my body to free the skin that was stuck to the hot vinyl material. There was no way to get comfortable. I placed my head against the window with a thud wishing that I could go back in time. Just an hour or two before this whole nightmare began. My wrists were killing me. The metal of the handcuff on my right wrist was bruising my skin. My hands were tangled behind my back. I sadly looked out the window at my daughter and the other students standing helplessly and fearful at the side of the road. What was going to happen to them? How are they going to get home? I was responsible for them and now I was in the back seat of a police cruiser with my hands bound behind my back. The humiliation and shame were overwhelming. I wanted to wake up from this nightmare but it just kept getting worse.
That moment changed my life forever.
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About the Book
Me? An alcoholic? No—how could I be? I’m a teacher, a doctor’s daughter, and an Academic All-American. An alcoholic? No way! Or so I thought.
I went from a school fishing trip to the inside of a jail cell within three hours. I went from respected high school teacher to an impaired driver. “I am an alcoholic.” That was the hardest sentence for me to believe. To admit and become aware of being different than others—abnormal, looked down upon by society—was the most humbling and rewarding experience of my life. I found the strength and the power of my God-Within to overcome and conquer this crippling and deadly disease. My story is about my personal struggle over the past year. Acknowledging that alcoholism does not discriminate regarding who it captures and tries to destroy, I used certain spiritual principles and guidelines to overcome its power. This past year has been a struggle, but I am grateful for my disease and the truth that it has taught me to finally confront the monster and release my imprisoned soul.
About the Author
Frances MacDonald has written and published nine English as a Second Language (ESL) books. She has taught ESL to high school students for seven years. The books are on her students’ experiences while in Canada. A life-changing experience occurred in 2012 that changed her outer world and inner world. As a result of an impaired driving charge, Frances began a journey of rehabilitation and awareness. She recently received her masters of metaphysics degree and is working towards doctorate degree. Through research and experiences, Frances has been able to beat her disease, and she hopes that her story can benefit others.