Pre-Trial Rehab – Lonewater Farm, March–May, 1998
[Editors Note: Reggie wrote the following on his 3rd or 4th day in jail, later in the year]
… Severely depressed, and feeling that I just could [not?] handle life at the time I asked to be committed to some sort of treatment facility. This turned out to be Lonewater Farm in (outside of) St. John, New Brunswick.
I went there on March 29 still miserable and unhappy. I had expected it to be a serious treatment facility but mostly it was just a ‘warehouse’ for winos from St. John wanting to get off the streets for a while. 3 meals a day and a roof over their heads, and, of course, a welfare check. My stay there, sick as I was, was made easier by several guys from P.E.I. who I met and befriended there: Kevin M. from Montague, Brian I. from Ch’town, and Trevor T. from Ch’Town. All of these guys are involved in my story – condensed version.
Brian and Trevor later came to stay at Talbot House with me. After 6 weeks at Lonewater, I went in to St. John on a routine trip, and went straight to a bar. I hadn’t planned this; I just felt drawn there (fate? destiny?). Of course, I had several beers which led to my expulsion from Lonewater, and my return to P.E.I.
After getting kicked out of there I realized that being sober for six weeks hadn’t been that bad and I became determined to continue to explore this lifestyle choice. I should also mention that I went on a 2 day cocaine binge when I got to Souris which also helped me to come to the realization that I didn’t want that way of life anymore. This also taught me that some positive can come out of a relapse and we need not always focus on the negative, as is usually the case, especially within the justice system.