When Steve showed up at Jaywalker Lodge two years ago he had zero control over his emotions, and his verbal filter was non-existent… All he did was say f@$#.
During his second week with us, I had the privilege of accompanying Steve, and four other clients in early recovery on a hike to the summit of Mt. Elbert. For those of you who are not familiar with Mt. Elbert, it is a 14,439 foot high mountain, and the hike from the base to the summit and back can take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours. During that time I witnessed Steve experience, and express the entire spectrum of human emotions… It was crazy and I was scared. He said f@$# like a thousand times. Also, he smoked cigarettes the entire way up the mountain, which was absolutely nuts. Amazingly, we all made it to the summit and back. It was a great day. I finished that day knowing two things about Steve Shipway; 1. He had figured out that he definitely wanted to be sober and he was willing to do anything to achieve that goal. 2. He had no idea how to act… Two years have gone by and he has almost figured out the latter.
Steve is a miracle, and he has a good heart. Steve wants to help others, and has made doing so a central motivation in his life and recovery. He has a great work ethic, and is a valuable addition to the Jaywalker team. He serves as an example that, through recovery and willingness, even those individuals who appear to be too far gone can find their way back to being reliable friends, as well as upstanding and productive members of society.
Thanks for all that you do Steve. Congratulations.
Love,
Alex Colins
Residential Manager
Jaywalker Lodge
