Dead Drunk

Buddy's story. He is going through recovery....working the 12 Steps that have saved so many......only he is doing it over twenty years after he died. A message of hope that crosses time and space for addicts in all shapes and sizes....and those that love them.

It began as another story. Tom Van Wagner's story of 40 years of sobriety and the cost of the disease that is alcoholism. A story to be written by his nephew, Gil Van Wagner. The tale began there and stalled when Tom decided that it might be too much sharing....might be too hard to show all the work and the pain. Gil honored his Uncle's wishes when Tom changed his mind.

Somehow the story continued. Gil felt his own Dad, Tom's brother Buddy, walking beside him as had been the case when the story first began. Buddy guided him and helped him understand Tom. Then Tom decided to stop the process......yet Buddy remained. Gil liked his ghostly company on the morning walks but wondered why. Why? Why did Buddy remain? Why did he still show himself? Why did Recovery still link the dead father and the writer son?

Then Gil noticed Buddy was smoking. Why would you smoke in the afterlife? Because you could? Because it couldn't harm your body anymore? Why would someone hang on to a vice? Why would they hang on to a lesser choice? Gil wondered what other things Buddy carried over from this world.

It was then he knew. This was not supposed to be Tom's story of recovery. It was to be Buddy's. So Gil let Buddy begin what he did not do in life.......he let Buddy go to AA.

This is that story. Tom and Gil thought it was about Tom. Buddy just needed to get his own son's attention....so he could finally begin the path to recovery...one day at time....years after he died.