The Unite to Face Addiction Rally

It has taken me a while to write about the Unite to Face Addiction Rally. I have really tried to think about what it meant, being a part of history. It was to people in recovery what Woodstock was to hippies 46 years ago.
Of course, we did not have the alcohol or drugs they did and we left the National Mall in the same condition we found it in. We actually left DC better than we found it in. We left pieces of ourselves there in DC, little bits of hope and strength. We left knowledge, so people would know more about both substance abuse and long-term recovery.

You see, the Unite Rally was about so much more than a concert. It wasn't just about societal problems, lack of funding for education/intervention/treatment and people in recovery joining together for some good music and inspiring speakers either. It was also about letting people know that their loved ones did not die in vain. It was about letting people know that although substance abusers and those in recovery may be marginalized, they are not forgotten any longer. Even more importantly, it was about dealing hope that people recover. Finally, it showed people that we have amazing lives in long-term recovery and voices to share that recovery with.

My weekend started early, as I showed up a couple of days before the rally. It was my first time in DC, and I wanted to see things. I went to the White House, up in the Washington Monument, visited several of the Smithsonian museums and did a few more touristy things. I rode the metro, where I bumped into a rather large individual on safety patrol. He was a Guardian Angel,  a man who has committed himself to combating violence and crime.

He and I were in DC for the same thing, just in a different aspect. Instead of interfering when I see negative things happening, I was there to make sure people are aware of the positive things happening. Millions of people in long-term recovery are living their life doing amazing things. Very few people are aware of this, because for far too long we have remained hidden and anonymous. The Unite Rally was our chance to prop up like the Guardian Angels do, letting everyone know who we are and why we are here!

Personally, I have not been anonymous for quite some time. I enjoy the sound of my own voice far too much to be quiet. When I do speak it tends to be about what I know best: recovery, hope and being of service to others and my community. I have a nonprofit dedicated to doing this called Better Life in Recovery. It has been a slow start, because there are not a lot of people where I live that have the same drive and passion I do.

The Unite to Face Addiction weekend united me with thousands of people who have the same dream I do. We all share a dream where the battle against substance abuse is well funded, we are not treated like criminals and everywhere we go people know that recovery is amazing! To do this, the weekend contained several different events that people could engage in. I attended 3 of them.

At the FedUp Rally Saturday afternoon, I was around hundreds of people who had lost loved ones to opiate overdoses. They were there to make their voices heard as well. I fully agree with them, we need a federal response to the opioid epidemic our country finds itself in. We are losing more people each year from drug overdoses then car accidents, and something has to change. That is where we come in. We cannot remain silent about this, because silence is deadly!

Saturday evening, I attended a comedy event called A Tribute to Lost Laughs. It was entertaining and heart wrenching at the same time. There were over half a dozen comedians and several people who came out and shared who made us laugh, think and cry. We heard from the family's of Greg Giraldo and Harry Wittels. One comedian had lost his brother to a heroin overdose this year. The night ended with a call to arms by Greg Williams. It was all building up to Sunday's main event!

At the Unite Rally Sunday I heard positive messages about the support our cause is getting from so many people. I networked with people from all over the  country, hearing what people are doing in other states to combat addiction and stigma while sharing recovery. I was overwhelmed to meet so many who shared my dreams. I met many individuals who had either started or  joined  grassroots organizations out of their passion to do what I love to do, deal hope.

Then the focus shifted to the stage. We heard from politicians and actors, musicians and activists, authors and business owners. They shared stories of loss and recovery. They talked of their desire to see those who are still struggling have better access to support and treatment. I don’t know how many of them were ordained, but they definitely preached to the choir. The weekend culminated with all of the musicians on stage singing the Beatles song, “Come Together.” Just like that, the night's festivities were done.

As I walked back to where I was staying, the magnitude of the weekend was not lost on me. I had stood in a field surrounded by tens of thousands of people with hundreds of thousands of years of recovery listening to a couple dozen people speak and over half a dozen musicians pour their hearts out. They all shared a vision of a different tomorrow. They spoke of hope and advocated for a better future for those who are still struggling with substance abuse, those who are in recovery and all of the people who love them. We had finally come together.

Today I realize they could not have picked a better song to end the rally. The song did not signify an ending, but instead a beginning. It was a call to arms for everyone, whether they were in attendance or not. The rally was simply a forward to the book of recovery our country now begins writing. This book will change the way we address addiction. We will no longer focus on problems but instead solutions. For that to happen we must all come together. 

It is still early in our fight, our book is only in chapter one. The rally may be over, but our fight has just begun!