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Gambit,

Working as a Family Nurse Practitioner, I often have the chance to observe those that have made terrible life decisions. I learned to say to myself, long ago, "there but for the Grace of God go I". I have made poor choices while, sober, and while intoxicated. I lost True North on my moral compass and did things that were simply wrong to do. Somewhere along the line I realized I had avoided the consequences for my behaviors up to that point. That was where I decided to clean up my life and start living like a Christian man, husband, and father. These people I see from car wrecks could have been me. These people who can no longer breath after years of smoking could be me. These people who have end stage liver disease could have been me. Please do not misunderstand me, I did not ever cross the line from misdemeanor into felony, but I could have. So, like you, I regret many things in my past. I wish I knew where some people were so I could apologize for being such a jerk. However, a man can change, he can sow his wild oats and live his wild years, and then he can settle down. Getting to that point without having killed someone, or having gone to jail, allows me to understand some people were not as lucky as I. I try very hard to not judge them since I could have been them.

These days, I am the dedicated/designated driver. I quit smoking 12 years ago, and I quit being a morally challenged jerk (for the most part) about 19 years ago. A lot of water under the bridge since then, but I remain vigilant lest I slip into the water and finally drown. You made your mistake, paid for it, and genuinely regret it. I hope you get things sorted out soon.

RJ