Thank You Lord – Lee,D HOF speech
When it comes to writing a speech, well I’m not very good, but who cares. I’ve been quit now for 100 days and who would ever think, man I finally did it. But let me say it was not done alone.
Back some long time ago my brother had his door locked you see his room was in the basement. To him I was a pain due to being younger. He did eventually let me in and to my surprise he was tanning a rabbit skin which to a youngster this was cool. I must have been around 10 or 11 and not much older. I observed a tall drinking glass which contained a dark liquid, stagnant looking stuff. My brother advised me to not get any ideas, it wasn’t any coke product. He explained to me that it was dip spit. Well right then I wanted some, hey if he was doing it so should I. Pretty dumb kid wasn’t I. Don’t get to mad at my brother just yet. He said no. But you see I was a persistent little blond headed kid. He did inform me if I ever spoke a word to mom or dad he would kill me. Good enough my mouth was shut. Soon there after we went fishing and this was the day my brother shut me up. Standing on a sewer pipe which ran along the lake side in the woods, I put in a dip. I’m sure I struck his last nerve and the Kodiak was running through veins wide open, you remember the head spinning thing. Well it didn’t take long and my head to become dizzy and in the water I went. Good thing the heat index was high.
This is when my dipping days becomes un-clear; maybe I bumped my head and got amnesia or something. I don’t remember much but what I do remember is dipping a lot in school and keeping one in all the time. Eighth grade I was dipping on a regular daily basis. me and my other class mates could take a piece of paper, fold it into a cup and use it to spit in later dumping the evidence in the trash can after class, totally undetected. This was pretty cool no one knew. Well I always knew one always watched me and that was God. But hey I was young and asking forgiveness was a daily thing. God would surely understand. You have to remember dipping made me feel bad about myself and to me it was not a good testimony.
Well I dipped and hey I dipped. I met this wonderful girl in eleventh grade her name was Lisa. We hit it off and the only secret I ever kept from her was my addiction to nicotine. I was afraid she would think less of me if she new I used tobacco so I never told her. We eventually got married after five years of dating and after marriage I told her. She never got angry with me she simply advised she did not like it and wished for me to quit. Well the addiction was strong or my selfishness was strong and I continued, Lisa loved me and with in time she accepted it, well lets not go that far.
The years went on we had children, and you hear the same old story, I continue dipping. You know the sad part is my wife would buy a can of dip for me at the convenience store every now and then. Wasn’t that nice, not! She would rather buy a can of dip for this selfish person than to hear me grumble and rage. Yea you know what its like. My family was being pushed away by this demon. The devil has his hands in everything and if dip was the key to killing a successful marriage and a family being torn apart then so be it. But remember I was blind and selfish I had my dip.
Countless time I prayed God this is it, keep me away from dip. God please don’t let me succumb to mouth cancer. This is my last dip. God I promise not to dip anymore. This became a joke and I knew it, even felt it in my heart. I knew this was wrong. I changed my prayer and said God please show me how I can quit, I don’t want cancer and I realize this is going to eventually happen. I have a loving wife and precious children. What is it going to take for me to say enough I quit. This was the last time I ever tried to quit, no more promises to God. My fate was unknown and I continued to dip.
One day October 4, 2008 I took my last dip. No more, but something led me to this site. How and Who, Ill tell you, I very much feel God led me to this site and God used you guys as an accountability group to quit. It worked each and every day, (missing a day or so) I post roll with you saying today I will stay quit. I am blessed my health is still good; I am bless God spared me and allowed me to continue a healthy life. I have met lots of great people here at kill the can. The road has not been easy but I’m making it day by day.
Thanks for the encouragement WWB you taught me how to use a computer, laugh but I greatly appreciated it. Kidd thanks for all the talks about hunting, fishing and police work. FranPro thanks for keeping me going on day four. Loot thanks for making me get a plan, I thought this was stupid. The wise Loot knows what the young grasshopper Lee needed. I got a plan. My wife Lisa she never stopped loving me, even though I put dip before her. I think of all the times I dipped and wasted quality time which could have been spent with her. Thank you all my quit brothers and sisters for being accountable to me. Lastly I would like to thank God my savior for leading me to this site. God knew what I needed to quit and it was you guys, forever family.
NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Lee,D
