Prayers for WebMonkey

You beat me to it. I had just copied and pasted the text of Jared’s post to come over here and create a thread.

The question is… should we post this on UFN? It’s Chris’s board so I’m hesitant, but it seems like the family is wanting an intervention on a very large scale here.

I went ahead and posted a little thing on UFN. If that’s bad and wrong of me to do, so be it. I didn’t post the content of Jared’s post on Chris’s timeline.

Do you want to post it or should I just add to my post?

Nevermind… I agree.

I’m editing my original post right now to include the text of his post.

Maybe I shouldn’t have done that. But I think that Jared putting it on Chris’s Facebook page was a pretty big indication that the family desperately wants anyone and everyone who can influence Chris to get the help he needs.

Also, kind of crazy to learn that the health problems he has been experiencing has been a result of alcoholism. Such a sad, sad disease. He is really fortunate that nobody else was hurt last night. Wow.

Wow that’s terrible. Just awful. I hope he gets the help he needs and is able to fully recover. Alcoholism is so destructive. All my best to Chris.

A further post from Chris’s Brother:

He is still in restraints for trying to pull his tubes out. He is denying what happened or that he was drinking, despite the police report and the impound certificate. He insists everyone including the police are lying to him.

Well, s**t. Don’t know what to say other than that I hope he gets better. This is going to get tough. Get better, Monkey.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Duhwayne.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by Duhwayne.

I knew he was an alcoholic. I am sad to hear he’s drinking again, and I’m glad he didn’t kill anybody. I hope he can get sober again, and stay sober. He’s got a long row to hoe though, and now that he’s in legal trouble things could get ugly.

So sad to hear, and the poor guy was just starting to get things back on track with a new job.

I hope he comes through this okay.

Probably a BAC of .27 and with those glucose levels no wonder he doesn’t remember anything. I have no sympathy for drunk driving but I hope he gets help before he kills someone or himself.

Yet another post from his brother. Makes me feel not so bad about posting this on UFN.

Chris, last night you took this into the public arena. You crashed into another car, driving so fast that both of your cars were totaled. On a 15 mph street with exiting mall foot traffic. Someone left the Cheesecake Factory after dinner to learn they no longer had a car. The time is now to stop sweeping this under the rug.

And earlier in the comment thread, here was his brother’s appeal to clean things up. Heart wrenching.

Chris, we had the worst dad in the world. I know this because I too was there. He set a very poor example and we grew with very little direction, and worst of all, he passed on his alcoholic genes to us. Yet despite his behavior, you still have the chance to be the best dad in the world. Alcoholism is a disease that requires self-mastery. Every day is a day of decision, and our decisions determine our destiny. Seven years ago, when your heart was broken and you were very open and public about the issues that caused it, I encourage you to be just as transparent about this issue, and invite your friends and loved ones to walk with you and support you. You remember how it would bother us when we told dad he was drunk, and he denied it? You are doing the same thing. I bring this up because you know from experience how easy it is to detect, even as children we could do it, so don’t be a jerk and say your wife and brother and the police keep lying to you. A powerful lesson was taught by a man I love: Joseph B. Worthlin, whose final message to the world was to always look on the bright side of life, always focus on the good in the world, and to laugh our way through the tough times. As I’ve taken this approach, I’ve lost the temptation for self-pity and other characteristics that would lead to destructive behaviors such as binge drinking. I know firsthand that you can get past what ails you and be emotionally strong, and I strongly suspect that many, many others besides myself are ready and willing to walk with you.

Makes me wonder how much of the money donated by utefans to his personal troubles ended up at the DABC.

Chris and I were pretty much inseparable from 1990 through about 2006. I don’t remember us ever throwing back a few drinks together. In fact, while we were college roommates, he wouldn’t touch the stuff because of what was going on with his Dad. When I first became aware of his own issues with alcohol, he’d just discovered tailgating and met new friends on his website. They were manly men and I think he really, really wanted to fit in with them and impress them. He always hid his drinking from me, and keep in mind that we spent time together more days than not. I was essentially part of his family, and they spoke of me as such in their home (when he was married to his first wife).

Two years ago he had a binge and his current wife dropped him off at my place. I drove him to a rehab meeting the next morning and told him that I wouldn’t be taking him back in if he kept making poor choices. We have hardly talked since then.

So I have been through a few interventions with him already. I hope the result of this one is different, but I am not sure he has the fight in him to overcome this, especially with all the new legal issues. I suspect he’ll lose his new job, and of course he is in deep financial doo-doo (that component is even worse than you believe it to be). You all will have to be very dedicated and very brave and very innovative to help him dig out of this. I have a family I love very much who is leaning on me heavily right now, and I am 100% there for them. I can’t do another cycle with Chris.

Just understand one thing. Coming at him with the Jesus angle, as much as he needs it, he will resist it completely. I know that’s the crux of addiction recovery for most folks, but this is why he’s never taken to it in the past. If there is another approach, you might have a better chance of reaching him. I hope you can.

Monkey’s brother Jared just removed his post from Monkey’s FB Feed and put this in its place:

Friends of Chris,
I was asked to remove my announcement, due to employment concerns. I made a copy to show him. If you have any further words of encouragement, please share via message.

I feel for Chris and sincerely hope he gets better. I can empathize however, with those who are angry. One of my best friends lost his wife and three children to a drunk driver. That funeral was brutal, especially the viewing. I knew his wife well as we went to school together for many years.

If I lost my little 2.5 year old and/or wife to a drunk driver it would be devastating.

Chris is truly lucky nobody was hurt.

Wow, this is pretty freaky. I came home last night to a big police scene. I couldn’t see most of what was going on, but it was obviously pretty serious, there were quite a few emergency vehicles there. I live right down there by the Cheesecake Factory. Now I finally know what was going on. I’m glad no one became a serious victim of this accident, that would be terrible. I feel bad for Chris, but I’m glad he’s off the road and I hope he isn’t able to get back on the road for a long time. Drunk drivers are scary and they take innocent victims. Hopefully he can effectively work on fixing his life. Sounfpds like he’s got a tough road ahead of him.

He needs to read ‘Change or Die’ if the idea that God has the power to help him doesn’t quite cut it.

The financial devastation one goes through after a DUI ought to be a deterrent from making a really, really, really poor decision to get behind the wheel. Actually, operating ANY kind of a mechanized thing is really dumb, but for some reason many have done it. Maybe once, maybe countless times. I could have killed someone, and even myself, quite a few years ago. The personal humiliation, let alone the humiliation my family likely went through was enough for me to stop making such poor choices. The financial ramifications cost me dearly. Even while driving legally, I still have a fear everyone on the road somehow knows I drove drunk years ago. I have a fear of being pulled over and subjected to the same field sobriety tests because of that evil thing called a DUI on my driving record, even though I will never, ever drink and drive again.

I thank the powers that be that I never hurt anyone by my careless decision to drive impaired. I thank the powers that be I learned a very valuable lesson that night. I thank the powers that be I make a plan and stick to a plan if I choose to go out and imbibe.

Part of me sits in judgement over Monkey’s situation as he treated me poorly in the past. Part of me feels empathy for Monkey. All of me hopes he can turn things around.

Feel for Monkey wish him only the best even if I am a little resentful of the donation issue on the site.

The invention of cars – Great idea.
Human operators – Terrible idea.

Self driving cars will help society so much.

Elon Musk, Sam Altman Predict Self-Driving Cars Will Be On The Road In Just a Few Years

Hope the guy gets the help and support he needs to clean himself up. Thank god no one was seriously hurt. My wife lost a brother to 3x drunk who crushed him on his motorcycle. I myself was rear ended while stopped at a red light by a drunk driving his parents motor home filled with with his drunk buddies coming back from a round of drunk golf. The guy was beligerent and refused to provide ID. Finally police showed up and they got his DL. Dude looked like he was in his 50s, yet he was only 35 years old. I insisted they sobriety test him. Police thought he would pass. They called me me the next day to inform that he blew 0.19, or nearly 2.5x the legal limit. I have no sympathy for drunks who get behind the wheel. Not when there’s all sorts of options like Uber.

What on earth is praying going to do for this situation??

What on earth is praying going to do for this situation??

I’m an atheist so in my mind it won’t do anything. But for some it seems to work.

It is a little unnerving knowing 3 of my 4 siblings have tried to kill themselves in the last 3 years. Monkey included. Life is worth living!

Irie you’re related to Monkey?

Yeah I hate to see the LDS argument creeping in.

Ah wow @IrieUte. Well if you talk to him wish him well for me. Going to be a rough go for a bit I’m afraid. Thanks for stopping by here.

@IrieUte, what is the general feeling amongst the family of having your brother (I assume it wasn’t you) posting that on his FB page? Agree or disagree?

10K baby, and not even a heart felt thank you.

You said it… we were all thinking it.
Whether we’d be willing to admit it or not, the thought did occur.