michael landwehr:  

Life Having been more or less on my own since I was 15-16 YO.(My choice and I accept the responsibility for it,). I would stay home through the school year then head out in spring in my 15th and 16th summers, finally leaving for good in 1972. I enlisted in the US Army in 1973. Its no secret that I've lived an wild life style for many years ,spent in Bars as an addict and drunk ,numerous jobs ,legal problems, fights, living by street rules I've seen and done things that no one should. All that we were warned about that could happen- Did, I spent many years as a lost and very angry person. A number of things contributed to this. I neither cry nor apoligize over it. In the end it was ME I had to fix. I have no control on anything else. regrets? a few, but no excuses or blame - I was what I had to be to survive in the lifestyle I ended up living. By 1997 after another stabbing,this time locally. I had enough.I quit and walked away w the help of family, VA counciling and a determination to get out and not look back. 16 years later to today I am out of all that now ,living the life I should have lived all along and happy. By the grace of whoever is in charge I am still alive, dented and dinged for sure,but alive. A great many of our school mates and freinds are not. All but two of my high scool time freinds have passed and a great many others from my life since have passed. Including two women very dear to me,I hope they finally found peace. I will always remember ...Expand for more