An Amazing Person

Author © Scott D. Zachary

       Figuring that everything else in my life would be more of the same, I fully intended to conclude this book while perched on top of the world in New York City during my previous story, “...and I Am an Alcoholic.” Now I realize that would be tantamount to ending the fairytale when the Prince found Cinderella’s glass slipper.

       This appointment on June 12, 2018, with Dr. Perry was my third six-month meeting with her. As Dr. Perry sat down, she looked at me where I sat across from her desk and asked, “How have you been, Scott?”

       “As long as I keep taking my lithium and don’t drink, my life keeps getting better and better.”

       “So you haven’t experienced any problems since our last meeting?”

       “Since I quit drinking eight years ago and started taking lithium shortly after that, I haven’t had one single, itty-bitty, tiny health, mental health, emotional, relational, marital, work-related, financial, or spiritual problem worth mentioning. Not one. My life has been beyond fantastic! What a contrast: Nine years ago, I tried to pull myself out of that dark depression by volunteering to be a Hospice companion. That was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done: Trying to pretend that I was normal when all I wanted to do was die.”

       “Awww,” pitied Dr. Perry.

  “I thought my gloom was psychological. I speculated that I could solve the problem by redirecting my focus outside of myself. I never would’ve guessed on my own that it was my brain’s reaction to a chemical deficiency—lithium.”

       I pulled my “Summary of Accomplishments and Plans” (see end of story) covering the prior six months out of my show-and-tell bag of goodies and handed it to Dr. Perry. Rather than talking while she read, I sat quietly and let her focus on my written words.

       “This is impressive!” exclaimed Dr. Perry. She continued reading.

       “I wouldn’t change anything,” I said. “Even if I could get my lithium prescription refilled without meeting with the psychiatrists here at RiverValley Behavioral Health every six months, I wouldn’t want to. I love the accountability. I love the doctors’ inspiration! No one ever asked me to prepare a list of all my accomplishments and plans; I just started writing it on my own for Dr. Basit about seven years ago. I had to do something similar as an officer in the Air Force. It makes me conscious of what I’ve done with my life over the previous six months and what I intend to do with my life in the near future. I like it.”

       Dr. Perry finished reading and looked up at me. “You’re an amazing person.”

       I intended to humbly play down her comment, but my response veered straight up. “I’ve got a whole lot of amazing to go, yet.”

       She smiled.

       “I realize that I’m on a short list of patients who are not required to attend therapy sessions in between meetings with my psychiatrist, but I actually have two therapists of my own.”

       “You do?”

       “Yes, about once a month—sometimes more often—I attend therapy with my massage therapists, Paisley and Carol. They listen to me spilling the beans, so to speak, while they give me a two-hour massage.”

       “Two hours!”

       “Yes, ma’am, I work alternating weeks as a software contractor in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. On the other weeks, I work remotely from home in Lewisport, Kentucky. Either on my way up there or on my way home, I stop by Elements Massage in Florence, Kentucky, for a two-hour massage. I’ve been visiting Paisley, a Christian, at least monthly for nearly four years and also Carol for the past several months. In addition to telling them every little detail of my life in the process of sharing my stories, they have also thanked me for mentoring them through some difficult decisions in their lives.”

       Dr. Perry and I chatted for another half hour or so about numerous subjects such as mine and Bobbie’s desire to learn all about water well-drilling so we could sponsor the drilling of a water well in some impoverished country and go there to help drill it. Possibly Rwanda? I shared how it disturbed me to imagine women and children walking for miles every day to retrieve a bucket of disease- and worm-infested water for their families to drink. As we chatted, Dr. Perry listened intently and provided positive, encouraging feedback.

       “I’ll renew your lithium prescription, Scott, and I’d like to see you again in six months.”

       “Thank you, Dr. Perry. I’d like that, too.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

       For a time, Dr. Perry’s comment about what an amazing person I am began to turn me into a monster. A good monster. I’m sure that my wife Bobbie heard about it from me at least 37 times.

       “Forty-one,” countered Bobbie, “but who’s counting?”

       “I yam what I yam, ike-ike-ike-ike-ike.” I responded. “Besides, Dr. Perry should know—she has a doctorate in personalities. The only problem is: How do I top amazing?”

       Bobbie shook her head and smiled. “I’m sure you’ll find a way, dear.”

       Nevertheless, that “amazing” comment further stoked my fervor to excel as a Christian and as a human being. Lord willing, I do have a lot of amazing to go. Incidentally, an atheist advised me a few weeks ago, exhorting, “You need to focus on life before death, not life AFTER death.”

       I responded as follows:

“Being Christian doesn’t mean that my focus is on the next life. Hardly. I skydive, run half-marathons, own a software company, give away thousands of eyeglasses to the poor here and abroad, help young girls overseas escape human trafficking, and volunteer for Hospice and the homeless shelter. My wife Bobbie and I were formally engaged on San Pablo Island, Lake Nicaragua, during a Christian medical mission in 2014, and we have a fantastic marriage. My granddaughter Remi calls me Silly Dilly Zachary because I love good practical jokes. I thank God for nearly a decade of sobriety, and I’m having more fun than ever at 61.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Scott D. Zachary

Summary of Accomplishments and Plans

January 18, 2018 – June 12, 2018

Accomplishments:

·        Resumed writing my autobiography on May 12^th after 10.5 months of massive review with Bobbie and three months off – Completed two more short-story memoirs (“Nurse Aide?” and “The Nanosecond”). Total pages completed thus far: 560 (48 stories done, 64 to go).

o   Purpose – To share my journey through alcoholism and bipolar disorder to serving Jesus Christ as a Christian medical missionary. (Stories are posted on www.AuthorsDen.com)

·        Worked for Gardens Alive as a contracting systems analyst since June 1, 2017. I work the first and third weeks of each month on-site in Lawrenceburg, IN. Work other weeks remotely from Lewisport, KY.

·        Created and remotely maintained K2 Marine’s manufacturing and accounting software in Knoxville, Arkansas, since 1996.

·        Have a fantastic relationship with my wife Bobbie. She accompanied me on my last five Christian medical missions to Nicaragua and has been collaborating with me in writing my autobiography since November 2014. We have a blast going on missions together and working on my book!

·        Achieved 104 months of sobriety as of May 28, 2018.

·        Six years without smoking cigarettes since May 12, 2012.

·        My total debt is zero.

·        Donated 30% of my past six-months’ revenue to the following:

o   Life Outreach – Rescue Life Mission (rescue young girls in Thailand from sexual slavery).

o   Life Outreach – South Sudan Children (feed 50 children for 3 months).

o   Voice of the Martyrs – Bibles and assistance to persecuted Christians overseas.

o   Hope for Nicaragua Christian Mission – Acute hospital care and medical supplies. (Our team will be going to Honduras in August instead of Nicaragua.)

o   Hope for Nicaragua Christian Mission – Love offering to Nicaraguan mission helpers. (Due to political unrest, all U.S. missions have been suspended and helpers laid off.)

o   Paid for a new heating and air conditioning system and water heater for an “angel” who helped me enormously during my struggles to climb out of the pits of despair in 2009.

·        St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter for Men in Owensboro:

o   Donated and maintained an inventory of reader eyeglasses (assorted powers: 1.00x to 6.00x) since October 2016.

·        Sponsored Maria Fernanda Cuero in Ecuador through ChildFund since May 2014. Assisting with Maria’s college costs through ChildFund since October 2017. (Maria is majoring in Architecture, and her goal is to design low-cost housing for the poor of Ecuador.

·        Lost 17 pounds using Nutrisystem diet plan since April 1^st, and my wife has lost 15 pounds.

Plans:

·        Father’s Day vacation (June 13 – 17): Reserved suite at Clifty Falls State Park Inn with son Jonathon and granddaughter Remi.

·        Vacation in Washington D.C. (July 18 – 23): Spend the week with Bobbie’s friend, Dr. Alice Kreisle. Granddaughter Remi is excitedly picking out her favorite places to tour.

·        Continue...

o   Writing short-story memoirs.

o   Working as a software development contractor to Gardens Alive.

o   Remotely maintaining K2 Marine’s manufacturing and accounting software.

o   Researching Christian water well-drilling missions overseas:

§  Bobbie and I plan to sponsor and help drill a water well in 2019 (possibly in Rwanda).

o   Sponsoring Maria Fernanda Cuero in Ecuador through ChildFund:

§  Assisting with Maria’s college costs.

o   Donating and maintaining inventory of reader eyeglasses at St. Benedict’s Homeless Shelter.

o   Lose another 15 pounds before year end.