E irial “JV” Varner met James Lingo when he joined the fraternal order of Masonry. “He was in the lodge when I joined. I found out what he does, he found out what I do, and we just put these things together.” What Eirial does, is share his story. He speaks at gatherings, outreach programs, and seminars. The subject? Sobriety. For him, it will be 17 years in January. “And that doesn't mean a one-year chip or a handshake or a cup of coffee; that means sharing my experience, strength, and hope with another so that they may recover. If it helps anybody else, then I've done my job.” An advocate of AA, he shares that message with others. “I know the first 164 pages of the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous like the back of my hand—it helped me save my life.” His addiction path began in his young teens. His father was a drug dealer in Chicago. “He blew me my first shotgun through a toilet paper roll. He inhaled, and then he blew me the smoke. It just catapulted me.” His father would bag the drugs in Eirial’s apartment and leave his son a few days’ supply. Then came the crack, or cooked cocaine, for the next twelve years. He finally left his wife and even stole her car. “I WAS STUCK IN THE STREET FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS SMOKING DOPE.” He slept in abandoned cars and abandoned houses. “I remember the worst feeling for me was being out there at four o'clock in the morning and wanting one more hit but with no means to get it. It's the worst feeling known to any addict.” So, what changed? “I remember meeting this guy at the service station; I was trying to hustle some change. . . He said, ‘I'm not gonna give you no money, but I'll give you a solution to
Sobriety
“… sharing my
experience, strength, and hope with another so that they may recover.” -Eirial “JV” Varner
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