CHAZ STEVENS --

The life of the party. Inner demons. A disease, genetic disposition, and/or character flaw.

Whatever it’s called, I have it.

Like 1/13 Americans, I’ve too dealt with substance abuse issues; a challenge I met head-on about a decade ago while going through some really troubling times. In an attempt to deal with that pain, I self-medicated.

And thanks to my most ardent fans, some details of that havoc have been made available for your reading pleasure.

I’ve never really felt the need to share, until now. You’ll see why I am in just a moment.

Perhaps you’ve heard the whispers of an arrest warrant. There was one… You might also have heard that I was incarcerated. True dat. Twice in fact.

I was arrested for violation of a court ordered injunction of no-contact. Guilty as charged. I was told to stay away and I didn’t. For that, I paid some fines and did a year’s probation.

It’s been alleged that I was arrested for domestic violence. That I am abusive, a stalker, and stole a credit card. That I beat my girlfriend.

All not true. Allegations are just that — allegations; and not always based in fact, reality, or somewhere in between.

Several times a week, I get in the ring and box. Should you ever join me, you’d learn that I am very big, surprisingly fast, and have a wickedly stiff right cross. Suffice it to say, if I ever hit a woman, I’d probably have killed her.

It’s also been suggested my reason for supporting Women In Distress to this day is due to a court order.

Also not true and ridiculous if you think about it.

Those ardent fans of mine will have you believe I am a woman-hater, when in fact it’s much more simple, and much more complex, than that.

You see, I am an alcoholic.

And over the years while dealing with this fact, I have come to learn I’m a terribly flawed individual whose done more than their fair share of crappy things in life. To others, to myself. I’ve apologized as best as I could and try not to repeat my mistakes. Now, I regularly attend AA meetings and often chair, hoping to help others find a way out of their own hell.

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Some of my neighbors are convinced the end of days are upon us, as another recovery house has opened up. First one on Federal Highway and now “spreading” over to the waterway.

With all the yard signs sprouting up decrying “doom and gloom”, I thought another viewpoint was needed… Someone speaking from personal experience who knows all too well “it’s not about bad people getting good, it’s about sick people getting healthy.”

Getting and staying sober ain’t easy. This I know.

If someone is making that journey, they have my complete support.

My complete support in my back yard.