The Marble Story

Not My Image

The Marble Story

November 1, 2013 at 8:49pm

I promised I would share the marble story. Here it is: 

In March of 1990, I was five months sober and living at Serenity House in Portland Maine. Serenity House is a live-in treatment facility for men recovering from alcoholism. I was 27 years old, and had given sobriety a try on several occasions. None of my efforts proved fruitful, so I decided that living in a situation where sobriety was required would help me. I must add that others had previously suggested I try Serenity House, but I declined. 

I moved in during Super bowl week of 1990. I had 90 days of sobriety at the time. There were daily groups, councilors to provide support, and a host of other venues in which to try out this sobriety thing. My hopes were dim, but I soon made connections with other Men who had been sober longer than me. They were instrumental in my staying sober and helped plants roots that have grown stronger over the years. 

But in March, I was only sober a few months and lacking the skill set I have today. I continued attending groups and found a job at the local YMCA. Props to the YMCA for believing in me. My name in the field of recreation was mud. All of which was my own doing. Previously, I couldn't stay sober long enough to work. Now sober, I worked in an after school care program and was teaching/life-guarding as much as time would permit. 

One morning before work, I attended a group in the house. At that group, one of the councilors did what was called The Marble Exercise. He gave us all a marble and told us that if we decided to drink, throw the marble as far and as hard as you can. Then you can tell folks that before you drank, you had truly lost all your marbles. Conversely, if someone accused you of losing your marbles while sober, you could reach in your pocket and show them that you still had one left. 

I kept my marble by my bedside table. I shared a room with four other souls who were trying to get sober as well. One day I was making my bed and bumped the table. The marble rolled off the table and onto the floor. I watched as it rolled under the bed and out of sight. I looked and looked, but could not find it. 

Around this time, I was feeling a bit resentful about my circumstances. Nothing major, just the sad realization that I once was an aquatic director, coach and swim lessons supervisor. Now at twenty-seven, I was working a job that any high school kid could do. I kept this to myself, despite warnings from staff to share my feelings. A day or two later I got ready to go to work. 

As I drove, it occurred to me that I had an overnight available (Residents had two overnights a week that they could sign up for). I decided that I would go to work, come back for a mandatory house meeting, sing up for an overnight and go drink. I would drink just one night and come right back to the house. I figured nobody would know, and I’d get right back on the beam the next day. I was feeling pretty smug about my plan as I pulled up to the school where the kids would be waiting for me.

The bell rang, and the kids in my after school program showed up. My job was to keep the students entertained until their parents came to pick them up at 5:30. We usually started on the playground. The weather was nice, so we all went outside.

This one kid came off the playground with a closed fist presented to me.

“Here” he said.

“What’s this?” I inquired.

(Big sigh!) . . . “Here!” He exclaimed again.

I put my open hand out, and he dropped a big blue marble into my palm.

“Why . . . Why’d you give me that?” I said in disbelief.

He shrugged and said, “Something told me you should have it.”

I did not drink that day. I went back to the house and told them of my plan and the story of the boy and the marble. The staff laughed. They also commended me for coming back and telling the truth.

I have that marble somewhere in my possessions. It’s tucked away in a box, behind a box somewhere in my things.

It is priceless!

M :-)