I am blessed with a network of friends who I can turn to when I need help or advice.
Nothing prepared me for what I started back in Feb of 2016.
I was asked to help a guy I knew, a guy I’d played hockey with, pull his life together- by a friend.
I’d never known that John was severely mentally ill- or had struggled for the last 20+ years after being booted from the AF Academy- I just knew him as a guy who delivered pizza to me- and had played on my Huff-N-Puff hockey team for a season or 2.
When I went down to Summit Behavioral in Cincinnati- I entered another world, one where we put people we don’t know how to integrate into society.
John was broke, without a car, phone, or place to call home.
All that is changed now.
Tom Archdeacon may be one of the best sportswriters in the country- he’s coming up on 50 years of doing it.
The story of John, me, and my friends who helped was in today’s paper. You can read it here: https://epaper.daytondailynews.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?artguid=699519cf-4c3c-4120-b07e-8b7a5596a15b&utm_source=app.pagesuite&utm_medium=app-interaction&utm_campaign=pagesuite-epaper-ipad_share-article
If the paywall blocks you- I posted it on my site: https://electesrati.com/tom-archdeacon-writes-about-the-veteran-im-honored-to-take-care-of/
About the same time as I started taking care of John- my office manager embezzled a lot of money from me.
My dad died.
I had to care for my mom with dementia.
But, thanks to John- and all my friends, we not only survived- but, flourished. Please take the time to thank your friends for being your friend, because, in the end, those are the people who get you through life.
Thank you
Sincerely,
David Esrati
Candidate for Congress and small business.