PBR: You have certainly been on a journey.  I am a bit curious about three parts of your life; your family, your addiction, and your faith.  If you can kindly tell us how are things going right now for you?

RL: Well thank God all is well. I am still single and take a lot of pride in my 3 sons who have done amazingly well. Considering the father, or lack of father that I was to them for part of their adolescence. I have been clean for many years and do not see that changing any time soon, but one can never be too sure of themselves when dealing with such a cunning and deadly disease as addiction. As for my faith, that is truly the best part of my life. In this world all we really have is faith. If not for a connection or relationship with a loving higher power, then we have no real relationship in this world to base our worldly relationships upon. If we put our Faith in things of this world we will always be let down. Therefore our Faith in our Higher Power, for me God, though unseen in this world, is the most reliable asset and relationship that we all have.

PBR:  In your book you mention a couple of times how you feel drugs and drug addiction should be taught to children starting in the first grade. Why do you feel children not knowing about many of life’s pitfalls should be exposed to this at such a young age?

RL: Well maybe not only this, but things such as drinking and driving, gangs, and other pitfalls that we will all face. The sooner our children are taught about the bad things of this world the better. It really is not all good as our children are unfortunately led to believe. With all they see on TV, in movies, and now even in video games, at an early age, the earlier they are exposed to the truth of the bad things in this life, and how to avoid them the better. They crash a car or get shot and die in video games; they get more “lives”, not really the way things work.

PBR: With age comes wisdom, or at least experience.  “If you knew then what you know now,” what would you have changed your life or done differently?

RL:  Had I never started smoking pot and continued for years, I doubt it would have led the harder drugs and all of the long term problems and effects that were so detrimental to my life, family, those I loved and those that loved me. However had I not lived my life just the way I had, there may have never been an “immaculate recovery”. One that hopefully will save the life of another, or bring hope and Faith to others. So in a way, this may have been all a part of Gods plan for me. To endure suffering and recover from that suffering, to tell my story to others to give them hope in their own lives.

PBR:  You wrote about a lady seeing her deceased child along with a bright light, as being an epiphany of a spiritual nature for her, seeing God as you stated.  Please tell us about that and about your thoughts about “the light.”

RL: It was most interesting and really a miracle that I would here the identical story from two differing people who neither knew of each other, nor had ever heard each other’s story. Yet they told me of having the same super natural experiences with their deceased children, describing the setting, Heaven, and what happened there with all of the same details.

They had both lost children, one in the case of mistaken identity during a drive by shooting, and the other when her son got locked in an abandoned freezer and suffocated. They both told me of how they became distraught and could not function. Going into a trance and seeing an incredible White Light.  Then they both described to me of how their children appeared in the Light and told them that they were ok, alright, and in Heaven with God. Both parents told me that when they awoke, that they were ok from then on. The Light, to me, can only be God, Jesus, Who is the Light of Heaven. Both of them described their children holding on and walking into the Light. Both of them describe the Face of God as an incredible white, bright, Light.

PBR: When was the last time you used drugs or smoked pot?

RL: lol A funny thing happened a few years ago. I was playing golf with some guys and they were smoking weed. I took a toke and about passed out! First and last time I had done that for years.

PBR: How is your Part 2 coming along?

RL: Not too bad. I have several chapters and think folks will find it enjoyable. It goes into how I get back into the phone business, and get involved with some very questionable, illegal, actions by some Government types and gets into some pretty interesting stuff. Things most people would never even realize. Like, you ever wonder where all those taxes and fees go when you pay your phone bill? Would you believe you could be paying the Mafia…?

PBR: Thank you again for being so open and honest with us, and we wish you the most success in your book sales, continued sobriety, and ever deepening faith.

RL: Thank you very much Gary, I really appreciate it.