April 2021 Recovery Newsletter

3rd Street Beat

TRC PLANT SALE May 15 th Every 3rd Saturday From 12-3 pm!

Turn to page 9

Planting Planting Recovery!!

Recovery!!

Produced by Clients of The Recovery Center 8 east 3rd Street 10003 #17 April 2021

The 3rd Street Beat Mission Statement The Third Street Beat is a newsletter written by and created for people with addiction. Our mission is to validate that experience so people know that they are not alone, and to emphasize the many unique roads that we take to recovery. This is an opportunity to share our experiences to creatively support each other. We are non-political, non-denominational, multi-racial, and gender neutral. Our mission is one of recovery and harm reduction, and all experiences are welcome. All the viewpoints herein are personal in nature and related specifically to our contributors’ recovery.

The 3rd Street Beat Editorial Team The 3rd Street Beat is produced by The Recovery Center community with assistance from the occupational therapy team.

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES I Aspire to Inspire to be Inspired

by Shams da Baron p. 5 TRC Plant Sale p. 9 POETRY & PROSE

War with Myself by Johnny Jungle p. 3 My Addictions by Oden p. 4 I Had a Drink Last Night by Shams p. 4 To Thine Own Self be True

by Jerry G. p.6 I Admire Myself by Tony p. 6 The Monster in Me

by Johnny Jungle p. 8 The Rest

Sudoku p. 2 Sudoku Solution p. 4 Memes p. 6

3rd Street Beat back issues can be downloaded at: www.projectrenewal.org/rc-newsletters

Follow TRC on Instagram! @recoverycenternyc

SUDOKU (solution p. 4) The rules of the game are simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the numbers 1-9 within its squares. Each number can only appear once in a row, column or box.

WAR WITH MYSELF MY LIFE’S BEEN A BATTLE/ BESIDES WITH THESE SNAKES THAT RATTLE./ I’VE BEEN BUSTIN’ MY OWN ASS WITHOUT A PADDLE./ SCARED SO I QUIVER.../UP THE RIVER WITHOUT A PADDLE./ I’M LEADING JUNGLE TO THE SLAUGHTER LIKE CATTLE/...CONFUSED LIKE THE TOWER OF BABBLE/...AW/ I DON’T NEED YOUR PITY./ I’M BUILT TO BE GRITTY./ I’VE BEEN IN A CITY/ LIKE BABYLON./ MY FAMILY WANTS ME TO CARRY ON./ WHEN I THINK OF MY LOVED ONES WHO ARE DEAD AND GONE,/ I DON’T KNOW IF I’M SAD BUT I GET MAD AND MOURNE./ IT’S TIME TO CORRECT WHAT WHAT I’VE DONE THAT’S WRONG./ SOMETIMES I WONDER IF I WAS BAD WHEN BORN./ DID MY FATHER PONDER/ WHAT KIND OF WILD LION MY MOTHER HAD TO HAD TO SPAWN/. I’VE BEEN KNOW TO TAP A JAW/...NOT PROUD OF IT. I’D RATHER MAKE LOVE INSTEAD OF BEING AT A WAR/ WITH HOPE./ I HAVE TO SET MY SCOOP/ AND GET THIS SCOPE/ OFF OF MY NECK./ THAT’S A BET./… YES;/ LEST/ I FORGET THAT/ THAT PIECE OF SHIT,/ DERRICK/ WHATEVER HIS NAME/ GOT ARRAIGNED/ AND HAS BEEN PUT TO SHAME./ MAYBE SOME OF THESE OTHER SILLY COPS WILL STAY IN THEIR LANE;/ BETTER YET IN JAIL, HE’S GONNA BE SOMEBODY’S DAME./...THOUGH IT DOESN’T CHANGE/ THAT GEORGE FLOYD’S PEOPLE STILL DON’T HAVE HIM./ WHY DOES IT SEEM LIKE IT’S A HABIT/ THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE TREATED LIKE DOGS THAT ARE RABID./ THESE MOTHERFUCKERS BETTER REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOT OUR PEOPLE OUR PEOPLE OF OLD. THE NEW GENERATION OF SO CALLED BLACKS DONE HAD IT./ WE’RE CLAPPIN’/ BACK KID./ AND OF COURSE I’M NOT TALKING BOUT’ APPLAUSE./ AT THE SAME TIME WE NEED TO PAUSE/ THE PAIN WE CAUSE/ AMONGST ONE ANOTHER./ THAT’S WHY I DON’T LIKE WHEN SUCKERS/ CALL ME BROTHER./ I DON’T CARE WHAT COLOR./ WE DIDN’T COME FROM THE SAME WOMB./ I’M TIRED OF MAMAS HAVING TO PLACE THEIR BABIES IN TOMBS./ IT’S AS IF TRAGEDY LOOMS/ OVER...WAIT;/ PEOPLE ACT AS IF THEY DON’T SEE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM./ IF WE DON’T GET IT TOGETHER, PREPARE FOR IMMINENT DOOM./ PLEASE FORGIVE ME OR NOT IF I SEE GLOOM./ I’VE SHED TEARS TO MAKE A MONSOON./ DO YALL REMEMBER WHEN THE GREEKS AND ROMANS STOLE THE KNOWLEDGE FROM THE MOTHER-LAND WHERE IT’S TROPIC./ AM I OFF TOPIC?/ FUCK IT. I DIDN’T FORGET ABOUT BRIANNA TAYLOR./ HER MURDERERS NEED TO BE SHIPPED OFF LIKE SAILORS./ THANK GOD FOR PRAYER./ 3 -JOHNNY JUNGLE 7-

My Addictions by D. Oden

I have an addiction that doesn’t quit. It doesn’t want me to have anything of value nor have a home, job, relationship, good friends—those are the people that I shy away from and it wants me to be in a relationship with the DRUG. My family is gone now but my disease still wants me to be miserable. I have to keep an open mind about my addiction and take it one day at a time. Knowing that I can not use one of anything because if I forget I am doom to repeat an I will go back to square one again. I have to keep my addiction up close and personal and to always recognize my triggers which are active women, P.P.T., boredom. As long as I stay on the right path, I will have a good day just for today and talk about how I feel, one day, at a time.

Thank you for reading this!

Stay focused!

I Had a Drink Last Night

By Shams DaBaron (04/08/2021)

SUDOKU solution

I Had A Drink Last Night, Please don’t be shocked and amazed ‘Specially since I’ve been drinking Since I was 7 years of age A lifetime battle, The struggle never ends When things get dark, my homie Old Gold Is my best of friends So I Had A Drink Last Night Because I was told that I got Put under surveillance By some ex-NYPD cops They posed as plumbers, And entered my home Secretly took a picture of me, While I was in a state of undress and alone So damn right, I Had A Drink Last Night Cause The City failed me yet one more time By leaking my address to Mastro and West Co., They’re complicit in a crime, So I got drunk as a skunk And whether or not you agree, I had to find a way to cope After they triggered my PTSD I Had A Drink Last Night And ended up in the Emergency Room Blood Pressure at stroke levels Due to all the alcohol I consumed Substance use disorder is real Mental Illness as well, My enemies tried to stop my recovery But they can all go to hell

Art from LINK

4

Image from pngtree.com

I ASPIRE TO INSPIRE, TO BE INSPIRED Shams da Baron made the following speech to 200 students in March, 2021

First and foremost let me begin by saying that I am deeply grateful for being invited to speak to you today, in regards to my journey and to discuss the issue of homelessness. I’m so honored to be called upon by you, the students of MS 54 and its Model UN Program and while I’ve done so many interviews throughout my life, as a product of Hip Hop and from my background in the streets, and now as Da Homeless Hero, the greatest honor is for me is to have an audience of young people who may be positively impacted by something I have to say. So, I thank you for this invite and I must admit that regardless of all the times that I’ve spoken it is only when I come before you, the younger generation, whom some would call the leaders of tomorrow but I regard as leaders today, that I ever feel a bit of nervousness. Therefore, pardon me, if I appear a bit nervous. That is only a tribute to the great deal of respect that I have for you, the young people who are before me. I, personally, see so much value in you, and I know that if we adults were able to listen and communicate with you more, this world would be a much better place.

So let me greet you all with the greeting words of Peace as it said in Hebrew “Shalom”, in Arabic “As Salaam Alaikum” and as we in the streets, we simply say “Peace”.

I’d like to share with you a quote from one of the most illuminating books of the many books that I've read in my lifetime. The book is Plato’s Republic and there is a quote from Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” which is as follows: “How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?”

Now I don’t know if you’ve read this book or are aware of it, but in Plato’s Allegory he talks about a bunch of people who basically follow the same routine every day. These people are living in a cave and every day they sit and watch shadows being projected on the cave wall. These people believe that the shadows are reality when in fact they are but an illusion. Yet, they’ve been conditioned to abide by and accept whatever the shadow is projecting without question. However, there is one from among them who says, “you know what, I’m tired of doing the same thing every day.” This person decides he wants to explore the cave and see if there is something more to this mundane life. The person decides to leave from where he’s at and when he explores he notices a small beam of light from another direction within the cave. He follows that beam and he tries to climb the walls as he sees the beam is leading upward. It’s not easy for him, for as he climbs he falls, hurts himself and has to go back. The next day he tries again. The person next to him, warns him not to leave his spot. He leaves anyway. He climbs again, following the beam of light but falls again. This routine happens for quite some time, and he’s getting battered and bruised with each effort, but at some point, he makes it all the way up and out of the cave. Upon exiting the cave, he is blinded by the light of the sun, which he’s not accustomed to so it takes a moment before his eyes become adjusted but when they do, he sees not just the light, but he sees life. He sees the birds, the trees, the plants, and he’s amazed at the beautiful environment that’s so different from what he was used to. Immediately he goes back into the cave and he explains to anyone who would listen, that there is something more to life, something more beautiful than those images being projected on the cave walls. Some people laugh him off, call him insane, thinks he’s lost his noodles, but a few are intrigued. They agree to follow him and when they do, they too get to experience the reality of life, the beauty of the real world, and the knowledge that there is more to life than what existed in the cave.

This story which I came across as a teenager reminds me of how things were with me growing up in the Hood, in a very violent area of the South Bronx, surrounded by gangs, drugs, and violence. I grew up in the 70’s when there was a gang epidemic, and went into my teens during the 80’s during what became a …

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

5

To Thine Own Self be True 1. You can have fun without going overboard or being obsessive 2. Satisfy your needs and follow the path that feels right.

3. Don’t be lazy when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Commit to taking better care of yourself.

4. It’s important to be true to yourself and your beliefs - put your energy where it counts.

5. Tidy up loose ends and put changes in place that will give you greater freedom to follow your dreams, hope, and wishes

by Jerry G.

I admire myself for being the loving, caring, understanding person that I am along with the charismatic, smoothness that I have acquired since childhood. The people that I have met through life's vast horizons has always loved me for being down to earth about every aspect as a person.

Despite of my shortcomings, I always had the capabilities to make changes in my life in order to be accepted as a respectable human being based upon my determination to impress upon others that i can still be that idealistic individual to accept change in order to prosper and grow.

- Tony Drawing by Olga Szkabarnicki

CONTINUE FROM PAGE 5 …..crack epidemic. Many of the people I grew up, and myself were in the Hood, that can oftentimes seem like a cave. Many of us follow the illusions being projected upon us and end up stuck in a life of insignificance. Some of us end up in jail, some of us end up dead, some of us end up just struggling to get by, but in many cases, most of us end up never living according to our full potential. This is how it’s designed for us.

I, on the other hand, have chosen to be like that guy in the cave who said, “I’m tired of sitting here doing the same thing every day as if this is all there is to life.” I decided to go and explore, to see something other than the illusion of ghetto life what they now may call the Trap. I knew that within me there was great potential, to do more in life and to be more in life. It wasn’t easy. Like the guy in the cave, I was battered, I was bruised, I was scarred up, but that didn’t stop me. It didn’t deter me or cause me to give up.

So today, I’m before you as Da Homeless Hero, which if you’ve been paying attention, is transforming into Da Housing Hero. I’m a person who is no different than any of you, young or old, we are all humans, and we are blessed with great potential to be whatever we desire to be. I don’t care what your income level, your education, your privilege or lack thereof, we as human beings are all equipped within ourselves to be great and to do great things.

I never let being born to heroin addicts, growing up in foster care, being homeless at the age of ten, being surrounded by drugs, violence and a whole lot of other craziness define me, nor did I let someone else define me. I knew that I was the captain of my own ship and the master of my own destiny. Sure, I had to learn, I had to grow and develop but I understood that there was a power in me that if I was able to harness it I could do great things. So despite the negatives, I can take pride in helping to develop Hip Hop Culture, I can take pride in owning businesses as a teen and doing so much good, before I reached adulthood. That is because I knew there was more to me than what others would have me believe.

What I also knew is that what gave my life true meaning, was me being able to use my life experience, my journey to impact others in a positive way. To show others how to take the negative and turn it into a positive, to take a stumbling block and turn it into a stepping stone, and an obstacle into an opportunity. Like that guy in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, I didn’t just discover Paradise and say to hell with the cave, I went back to share what I’ve discovered with others and show them the way.

I would hope that whatever you get from our conversation today, that in essence you are able to take it and do some good with it. As I would hope to impart some knowledge and wisdom from my experience, I also expect to gain something from you. This process is reciprocal. The more that I give, the more I will get and so we will learn to leave our caves today and see the light of truth from a real world perspective.

Now let me close, with a poem that I wrote last year. I think this is the first time that I’ve shared one of my poems publicly. I hope you like it, but just know that I value you all so much that I feel compelled to share a little more of me with you out of the tremendous amount of respect that I have for you young leaders: I ASPIRE TO INSPIRE TO BE INSPIRED

BY SHAMS I, aspire to inspire To be inspired The reciprocity of Connecting, Of a balanced well-being For a life Worth Protecting.

I live to give Empowered I am I AM the descendant of, A true and living God Thinking outside the box

I exit the cave And transcend the pod That lonely place, where The four walls wish to Keep me contained I shall not remain the same, For the purpose of life Is evolution and change Therefore, I shall Continue to aspire to inspire To be inspired Knowing that in life Happiness is acquired When you live your life Achieving all you desired

7

The Monster In Me - by Johnny Jungle IF MY FATHER AND MOTHER WERE ALIVE TO SEE/ THE MONSTER I BECOME TOBE/, THEY THEMSELVES MAY HAVE PUT ME SIX FEET/ DEEP./JONATHAN AND SABINA DID TEACH/ HOPE TO KEEP/ THE MOST HIGH’S GREAT THINGS BUT I LET THE ENEMY LUL THE JUNGLE TO SLEEP;/ STUCK AS IF CAN’T MOVE./ I’VE BEEN DOING/ THE DEVIL’S WORK WITHOUT AN INTERVIEW./COULD IT BE DIVINE THAT I GOT LOOSE SCREWS/ LIKE FRANKENSTEIN;/EMOTIONLESS NOT

BY DESIGN/ BUT HAUNTED BY MY PAST;/ UNLIKE JOHNNY CASH,/ I DON’T WALK THE LINE./ WHEN I FOUND MY BROTHER’S BODY AND REALIZED/ HE HAD DIED/, I DIDN’T STOP TO CRY;/ MAYBE BECAUSE ALL THE TEARS IN MY EYES/HAD DRIED./ IT SEEMS THAT I’VE MADE LIVING A LIE/MY BRIDE;/ MARRIED TOTHIS LIFE/ WHICH IS NOT A GAME BUT I’VE BEEN PLAYING FOR THE WRONG SIDE./ WHEN OPPORTUNITIES ARISE,/ I SEE THE ROAD AS NARROW; OPPOSED TO WIDE./ AS I GET OLDER, I SHOULD BE MORE WISE./BUT NOW REALLY MY WORLD’S COLLIDE./ PLEASE GOD; NOT TO MY DEMISE.../I DON’T JUST WANT TO STAY ALIVE/ BUT VITALIZED./ ALLOW ME TO REACH THE URBAN YOUTH AGAIN WHO’VE BEEN NOT JUST PHYSICALLY BUT MENTALLYAND SPIRITUALLY DISENFRANCHISED./ SADLY; EVEN IF THEY PUT THEIR HANDS HIGH/ MAY DIE;/I MEAN BE KILLED BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW THIS SHITSTEMIS NOT REAL/BECAUSE OF THE SKIN/ ONE’S IN,/ YOUR CAP MAY BE PEELIN’/WHETHER BEHIND THE WHEEL OR/ BEATING ONE’S FEET/ ON THE CONCRETE./I KNOW MY PEEPS/ FROM THE STREETS AN/ THE HOOD FEEL DEFEATED./WAIT NOW MY TEMPER IS STARTING TO BOIL AND HEATING./ I’VE BEENFORTUNATEENOUGH TO BE EATING/ BUT THESE INEQUALITIES AND DISPARITIES/HAVE MADE A PARODY/ THAT’S LEFT A DISPLEASING/ TASTE IN MY MOUTH./ I’M IN THIS WAR FOR A REASON./ SHIT IS ABOUT/ TO GET SPICY LIKE SEASONING/AND IMMA’ KEEP IT HOT AS THE SUMMER SEASON WE’RE IN./UNTIL ALL MY PEOPLE GET OUT OF THIS COLD PLACE/ AND I’M GON’ DOIT WITH A BOLDFACE/ WAITING FOR MY PEOPLE TO SHINE LIKE GOLD PLATES./TIME TO RECHARGE END RETIRE THIS OLD FATE./JOHNNY JUNGLE 7 8

TRC PLANT SALES

On the 3rd Saturday of each month (at least through November) TRC will be holding a plant sale from 12pm to 3pm. At these events, we are able to raise money to fund special events and other activities.

They also allow the community to come into our space and learn about the amazing community that TRC clients have created here.

If you are interested in working in the garden, you don’t have to have any experience. There is plenty to do! Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1pm, you can join occupational therapy outside for our horticulture group. The spring and summer is when we plant the most and start enjoying the life growing outside.

Hope to see you there!

Follow us on Instagram! @recoverycenternyc

Recovery Center Weekly Schedule for April - May 2021

The Recovery Center Thanks for reading our 212-533-8400 x144 for Intake 8 East 3rd Street Outpatient Substance Use Treatment Program

Please be safe….Ask for TRC or the 2nd Chance Program if you need fentanyl test strips or naloxone kits & training!

newsletter, we hope you enjoy it!

The 3rd Street Beat is accepting submissions!

If you would like to submit a piece of art, your recovery story, or other work, see OT in the Recovery Center or attend the Newsletter Meeting at 2:00 pm on 10 Thursday afternoons.

Every life is worth saving!

Are you in need of crisis services or medically supervised detox?

24 hour Intake hotline 212-763-0596