One other note.
On his way out to our friends’ last night, he stopped and chatted with me. He told me that he had screwed things up so badly when he was in New York that he ran to Minnesota for five years to get his head together.
He said that since he’s moved to FL he’s done some serious self-assessment and is hoping that this new career path is the way to stability for him.
He seemed almost desperate for me (or somebody) to give him our blessing.
I told him that from what he said, the new venture sounded like it might really take off, and that I hoped he’d do well.
He mentioned twice that “After my last DUI, I knew I had to either give up drinking or give up driving, so I gave up driving.”
Also, another fact correction: he moved to Florida mainly to get his RA mom settled into an assisted living community. He only stayed at her place a couple months, then got his own apartment.
He claims to have “really cut back” in his drinking, but often in stories he’d say, “Yeah, that was a really bad time for my drinking.”
Obviously deep down he knows, but he’s still in denial, assuring himself that he can moderate.
We’ll see what the next few months brings.