Lately I’ve been acutely aware of those around me.  I have taken steps to change my life for the better and in doing so this has allowed me to see more of what is happening to others.

I spoke to a long time friend of mine tonight and I think he is headed for difficult times.  Some of the reasons are akin to mine, and others are his own.

He too, like me, battles with alcohol.  He is trying to change but I think he needs help.  How do I help him if he does not ask?  He is a private person and feels that he should not burden those around him with his problems, but sometimes our problems are too much for one person.  I also think that he does not want to burden me at the moment given what I’ve been going through.

He confided in me that he has harmed himself, not to feel good, but to feel something else.  This really concerns me because I do not want to loose another friend.  I want to help but I don’t know how.

Perhaps I can help him by sharing what I’ve come to discover about myself in the past few weeks.  There comes a time in our lives when we need to re-evaluate what is important to us. 

I’m going to meet with him next weekend to see if we can help each other.  He’s a bit of a muso on the guitar, something I’ve always wanted to learn.  He said that he can show me some stuff to get me started and will even lend me one of his guitars.  At the same time, I’ll see if there is a way I can help him.