4/24/2007
The ‘Peer Support & Dual Diagnosed’ conference scheduled for the 23rd of May has unfortunately, been postponed. Needless to say, all the folks who have been working so hard over the past year on this event were heart broken. ‘Recovery, the consumer band formed especially for this event, missed a rehearsal because of the bad news. Looking back, I realize we accepted defeat too readily, and we now know why and have grown because of it. After a lifetime of busted dreams, and having been told we are ‘Lesser Than’ it becomes easy to accept setback. So while we were sitting around moping, wondering what to do next, we get a message from Veda Sharp suggesting we do ‘Empowerment Day’ instead.
‘From the Boardroom to the Streets’ Zero to 150, From the Rock to the Top, these are just a few of the cliché’s describing our exhilaration over Ms Sharp’s suggestion. I do not think it was a big deal to her but it meant the world to us. From now on, we know not to be so quick to give up hope. We understand there is always someone out there who believes in us, and our dreams of independence, and we must seek them out. However, we cannot ask them to give us self worth and/or understanding, if we do not have those values in ourselves. Personally, I am finding it more like some sort of positive energy flow: the more I believe in my recovery, the more others believe in me. The more others believe in me, the easier it is for me to believe in other consumers.
Peer Support provides the basis for us to be participants in our recovery by working with each and every person involved in the system. The recovery process is a joyous one, which is why music is the first thing you hear whenever you come to a ‘Visions’ conference. It is not a Eulogy, but a reason to celebrate. The Freedom train has left the station, and we can hear the whistle blowing. We are looking forward to working closely with the Veda Sharp’s in the world as we move forward into system transformation. This second annual ‘Empowerment Day’ will not only be informative, but as usual, we are going to have a lot of fun celebrating recovery, and exchanging ideas and contacts. So, as soon as the final details are in place we will be letting you know.
PS. We are asking Ms. Sharp to give out Certificates of Achievement to Consumers who have made progress: A new apartment, a new job, or some other sort of forward step. Please send names to
Cindy Harry-charry@co.wayne.mi.us
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