I HAD NO IDEA [HAD NOT HEARD] THAT ELIZABETH V. FROM THE FAMOUS 20/20 ABC PROGRAM, WAS AN ALCOHOLIC.
THE INTERVIEW ON 20/20 LAST EVENING, AND WHAT YOU CAN READ ON THE ABC NEWS WEBSITE..... WAS INSPIRING! I SHED SOME TEARS!
WHY DID IT HIT ME SO DEEPLY?
NO, NOT BECAUSE I'VE HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH ALCOHOL, BUT....WELL HERE'S WHY:
10 YEARS AGO I WAS HIRED TO TEACH GUITAR, BANJO, MANDOLIN, UKE, STEEL GUITAR, BY A YOUNG LOVELY LADY - 35 YEARS OLD. I WAS A MUSIC TEACHER IN HER MUSIC SCHOOL.
WE ACTUALLY BECAME VERY GOOD FRIENDS, AND I WAS OFTEN INVITED OVER TO HER AND HER HUSBAND'S HOME FOR AN EVENING MEAL. THE THREE OF US, SOMETIMES WITH OTHERS, WOULD ATTEND MUSIC CONCERTS IN TOWN AND OUT OF TOWN.
SHE HAD NEVER HAD ANY CHILDREN. HER HUSBAND BECAME A PILOT FOR THE CANADIAN WEST-JET COMPANY, ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO. HE WAS AWAY A LOT. THEIR MARRIAGE SUFFERED QUITE A LOT, AND THEY BECAME SOMEWHAT STRANGERS TO EACH OTHER. BUT SHE HAD LOTS OF FRIENDS, MYSELF ONE OF THEM; SHE HAD LOTS OF PIANO STUDENTS, AND ALL SEEMED PRETTY GOOD OVERALL IN HER LIFE.
ANOTHER MUTUAL FRIEND AND MYSELF NOTICED OVER A PERIOD OF A YEAR, THAT THE ONE GLASS OF WINE WITH A MEAL [WHEN WE ATE AT A RESTAURANT TOGETHER] BECAME TWO GLASSES, THEN THREE, THEN FOUR.
THE MUTUAL FRIEND AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT....WELL "DO YOU NOTICE HAVE MANY GLASSES OF WINE SHE'S DRINKING WITH THE MEAL."
SHE WOULD COME TO THE MUSIC SCHOOL WITH ONE OF THOSE LARGE TYPES OF COFFEE MUGS WITH A TOP ON. NOW MY NOSE IS ONLY ABOUT 50% AS GOOD AT SMELLING THINGS AS THE AVERAGE PERSON. ANOTHER LADY TEACHER PULLED ME TO ONE SIDE AND ASKED ME IF I DETECTED ANY ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH. I SAID NO, BUT TOLD HER MY NOSE WAS NOT THAT GOOD FOR SMELLING THINGS. THIS OTHER TEACHER TOLD ME THERE WAS ALCOHOL IN THE MUG NOT JUICE OR COFFEE, AND SOME OF HER PARENTS OF CHILDREN SHE WAS TEACHING, COULD SMELL ALCOHOL ON HER BREATH. I AGREED I THOUGHT SHE HAD AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM.
ONE DAY THE MOTHER OF ONE YOUNG LAD I WAS TEACHING CALLED ME TO ASK IF I KNEW ABOUT THE ALCOHOL PROBLEM THE OWNER OF THE MUSIC SCHOOL HAD. I SAID I DID. THE MOTHER KNOWING I WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF THE OWNER, ASKED ME TO FACE HER WITH THE PROBLEM, AS SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE, BECAUSE THE MUSIC SCHOOL WAS IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTER, AND THE BOARD MEMBERS [HER HUSBAND WAS A BOARD MEMBER] OF THE CENTER ALL KNEW ABOUT IT.....SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE.
I SAID I WOULD INDEED NOW SPEAK TO HER, I GUESS "CONFRONT" HER ABOUT HER DRINKING PROBLEM. I DID THAT VERY EVENING. SHE WAS NOT PLEASED WITH ME AT ALL. THIS IS OFTEN THE REACTION OF ALCOHOLICS.... A DENIAL REACTION. JUST NOT WILLING TO FACE IT.
THE COMMUNITY BOARD DEMANDED SHE GO FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP. SHE DID, AND WAS CLEAN FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS. BUT SLOWLY RETURNED TO THE WINE ONCE MORE.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO CANCEL THE CONTRACT. THE MUSIC SCHOOL WAS CLOSED AT THE END OF JUNE 2013.
NOW BY THIS TIME SHE HAD MOVED OVER TO DRINKING HARD LIQUOR, VODKA ETC. HER FRIENDS [MYSELF INCLUDED] HAD REALLY NO IDEA JUST HOW MUCH HARD ALCOHOL SHE WAS DRINKING. DURING THAT SUMMER OF 2013 SHE WOULD CALL ME NOW AND AGAIN, BEMOANING THE MUSIC SCHOOL WAS CLOSED OUT OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER. ONCE MORE IT GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO CONFRONT HER IN STRAIGHTFORWARD WORDS, THAT SHE WAS AN ALCOHOLIC AND NEEDED TO GET PROFESSIONAL HELP.
THE SUMMER AND FALL WENT BY AND I DID NOT HEAR FROM HER VERY MUCH AT ALL.
DECEMBER 22 - 2013 I WAS DRIVING OUT TO VISIT WITH MY DAD. HALF WAY THERE I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A FRIEND OF THIS LADY, TELLING ME SHE HAD GONE INTO HOSPITAL, IN A LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION. HER KIDNEYS WERE SHUTTING DOWN, AND IF SHE LIVED IT WOULD BE A LIVER TRANSPLANT FOR SURE.
AT 11 PM DECEMBER 25, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TO SAY SHE HAD DIED AT 10 PM THAT EVENING.
SHE WAS ONLY 45 YEARS OLD!!
I THEN WAS TOLD [HAD NOT BEEN TO UP TO THAT POINT] THAT BACK IN LATE OCTOBER SHE HAD GONE INTO THE HOSPITAL; THEY HAD DONE A BLOOD TEST, AND HER BLOOD WAS SO MESSED UP, THEY TOLD HER SHE HAD ONLY ABOUT A MONTH TO LIVE!
AS ELIZABETH OF ABC 20/20 SAID, DENIAL AND DENIAL IS HUGE, ADMITTING TO YOURSELF YOU ARE AN ALCOHOLIC IS EXTREMELY HARD TO DO; SHE SAID IT TOOK HER A LONG TIME TO ADMIT IT AND TO SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP. THANKFULLY SHE DID SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP, AND SHE'S ALIVE AND BACK TO WORK WITH ABC NEWS COMPANY.
WELL DONE ELIZABETH. NOW YOUR STORY WILL HELP AND INSPIRE SOME OTHERS TO FIND FREEDOM FROM THIS ADDICTION OF ALCOHOLISM.
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