Letter From The Author

Dear Reader,

My journey from experiencing what you will read in our book, "A Twelve-Step Journey to SELF-Transformation", has been one of pain, sadness, joy, shame, remorse, regret, laughter,anger, and finally peace. I have come to understand over time that all of it was meant to follow the time line that it followed. My life seems to be one of cycles and at times I question if I have any say in those cycles.

I was born and raised in the state of Iowa, second oldest of four boys. My memories of the time spent in Humboldt, Iowa from 1960 to 1970 are fondly recalled. It was there I first begin to experience a sense of peace with life, with my pals Jeter, Clark, Joe, Bill, Moses, Mel, Bruce, Mike, Ralph, Ronnie, Steve, Roger and a host of other fine men. That peace seemed to elude me over the following years when alcoholism and drug addiction began to take over my life. I finished up college at the University of South Dakota, got married to a wonderful woman and roared off to San Francisco to make my mark on the world. Over the subsequent years that mark turned into a trail of broken promises, dreams, and hopes. In October of 1982 I had an experience with a Higher Power that separated me from alcohol and drugs and I began my journey of SELF transformation.

In 1991 I made an abrupt career change and was thrust into the world of substance abuse treatment. From 1991 until 2005 I worked for two outstanding residential treatment facilities located in Texas. One of those was a thirty-day residential treatment program for alcoholics and drug addicts and one was a long-term extended care program. Those two experiences convinced me of the need for a new recovery center which would be gender specific (males only); be located on a family-style setting; be recovery driven, not clinical driven; and would have as a central theme permanent sobriety and a life of abundance. that vision turned into a reality in July of 2006 when the Mark Houston Recovery Center opened its doors. Much of what is discussed in Floyd's and my book is taught at the MHR center.

Floyd Henderson and I through a series of events began this book almost 7 years ago and now it's time to give it to you, our readers. May it help you in your search for inner peace. Enjoy!