IMAGE IN A BOTTLE

[Music] a [Music] great go ahead and leave good RS see if I care who needs you huh who needs you go man can only take so much Paulie oh oh man a man you call you call yourself a man Jason you are nothing that's what you are you are nothing who is it this time a blonde huh a redhead you think I don't know what's going on if it just the use of talking to you to find out what's going on just drinking yourself blind again so so how do you think you did on the test not very well I hate algebra glad the days over laor I tried to catch you after class wanted to ask you uh how youd like to work on school yearbook me do you mean it it means extra work the yearbook staff meets every Tuesday and Thursday after school but it is an honor you know there are only uh two sophomores on the staff the rest Juniors and seniors your name's come up several times we think you'd be very good at it why don't you give it a try oh GE I'd love to I'd better check with my mom could I let you know that'd be fine but I'll need your answer first thing in the morning and then there's a staff meeting tomorrow after school that you need to attend see you girls later oh Kim isn't that wonderful fantastic I wish they'd ask you too that way if my mom said it was okay we could work on a yearbook together forget it I even bomb out writing letters anyway I couldn't do it if I wanted on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons I work in the office at our church well how'd you get roped into that they needed [Music] help oh my [Music] mom hi girls how'd you go today oh Mommy you'll never guess that's what happened Mr Bradley just came up to Lori and asked her to be on the school yearbook isn't that super Lori that's wonderful thank you I can't believe [Music] this oh that's great taking off you never have the C to stick anything out shut up Lori do you want me to go inside with you oh no it's it's okay mom's just probably got the TV set up extra loud watching a soap or something Lori are we still on for bowling [Music] tonight why don't you come over to the house around 7 I'll drive you to the bowling alley only you think you're the only one Kim honey have you ever been in the Connelly house no Mom Lorie's kind of funny she never asks anyone in it's like she's always in a panic to get home like she's not sure what she'll find you got everything hot shot huh think of the chances I missed because of you I knew you were a loser I knew from the day I saw you you were a loser I had a good job I was making great great money and I told you I didn't want any kids no no you had to have a son big man had to carry on the Conley name didn't you never dreamed you'd get stuck with a daughter did you shut up Pauline you know how I feel about Lori where's Big Macho image now huh serves you right I'm the one trapped trapped in this lousy little town in this lousy little house with a lousy excuse for a husband honey you know I love you and no matter what she says we both love you it's best I get away for a while until she calms down I really don't want to leave you that's very sweet J that's so tender I'll be okay Daddy are you sure oh are you sure you're going to be okay lry you know your mother is a very dangerous person I don't know what else to do I'll call you you call Great call good RS to you who needs you [Music] what are you looking at what are you staring at just a little Martini after 4:00 cocktail down you've been drinking all day I had a little nip in my orange juice this morning it helps my headache big deal it's the crime mama why don't I make you some coffee would you get off my back mama please don't drink anymore you're just not yourself when you're on that stuff don't kid yourself honey I'm more myself than I ever was Mama something happened at school today that I need to talk to you about oh it's always something you're just like your father you never stop pick pick pick pick all right Mama look in a little while I'll call Dad at that Motel he usually stays in downtown you know the one when you and he have fights anyway I'll talk to him and I no I don't want you to call him soon as school is out tomorrow I want you to get yourself down there talk to that Motel Clerk and find out what that father of yours has been up to I can't do that besides they want me to work on the yearbook and and there's a meeting tomorrow right after school and that's what I've been trying to tell you School yearbook what kind of idiotic nonsense is that you should be out looking for a job trying to help out around here now that your father's walked out on us again who knows where the next meal is coming from Daddy will come back he always does do you want me to fix some dinner no there's no point in cooking for the two of us if you want something there's a TV dinner in the fridge maybe I'll just get something to eat later at the bowling alley you going out wish you wouldn't go out honey baby don't you're all I've got you didn't remember your Aunt Sheila did you her children didn't appreciate her she died of a broken heart you know you know I I read about a woman just on the next block that she was sick and all alone and she tried to Slit her wrist you know sometimes when I'm here I'm all by myself I think that's the only answer honey just end it all you're always bringing up that lady on the next block sometimes I think the only solution is to just end it all why don't you stop talking about it mama why don't you just do it why don't you just do it and stop hitting on me I didn't make Daddy leave I didn't even have to be born [Music] [Music] I'll get it Mom hi hi I know I'm awful early is it okay sure no problem you want to join us for dinner well I'd like to but what about your mom I don't know if she's like no problem there's plenty we'll just sit next her place [Music] okay dear Lord we thank you for the gift of this day and for the opportunity it's given us to learn and to grow and to serve you thank you especially tonight for our friend Lori help her to feel your nearness and your love we thank you for this food may it strengthen Us in order to serve you and our fellow men and please watch over Daddy on his business trip and bring him home to us safely according to your will in Jesus name we pray amen here have some be Stewart's my favorite and you'll love this my mom makes the best oh Mom I meant to ask you how's Mrs Benson not too good Kim mom works at a rest home 3 days a week she's kind of a counselor I feel so sorry for Mrs Benson she doesn't have very long to live and she's so scared but I do what I can sit with her and listen to her pray with her I'm so thankful that I have the Lord to depend on otherwise I don't think I could handle it you try to cheer up people who are dying I don't think I could do that well sometimes on a Saturday when my dad's not on the road we all go together well my folks and I we do lots of things together too I'm glad you like this Lori don't you have your coat with you oh um I don't need one I'll be okay well it's awfully cool tonight um why don't we stop by your house and you can pick it up okay it won't take very long [Music] I'll only be a second okay Mama [Music] Mama are you [Music] there [Music] Mama l [Music] l l i want [Music] L give me my bottle I need I need a drink s please don't let them take me I just need one drink please don't let them take now this is a mistake I I don't want an ambulance I want my husband Jason Jason Lori I talked to your father he was at that Motel he's going to meet us at the hospital Kim do you want to go with us or shall I drop you at the house oh if you don't mind I wish you would mom why don't your girls go get your coats oh l it's all right honey I've just seen your mom and everything's all right the cuts on her wrists aren't that bad in fact she's already out of the emergency room she's going to be fine where is she she's in this room right here but we can't see her for a while I'd like you to meet my mom oh Mrs Harden you must be the lady who called yes please call me Jean Dr Bartlet it's been a long time Jean good to seeing you again good to see you are you with uh Mr Conelly hello is everything okay well in a situation like this a police report has to be filed there are a couple of police officers waiting by the nurses station we'd like to get a few details from you all right but I don't know what to say well maybe I could help would you like for me to go with you yes please honey there's a waiting room right down the hall here we'll be right back Dr Bartlett is really a good Doctor Kim I'm so scared I don't know where to turn anymore I understand I've had those feelings too and it times like this I turn to the Lord he gives me peace of heart and mind when I ask him he'll do that for you too I don't know I don't think that anyone can understand but he does he knows just what happened and he loves you just like a mother and father maybe like some mothers if my mother really loved me why would she do something like this and if he doesn't love me I try to love her and and I do then all of a sudden she'll say something or do something it turned so mean that I almost hate her tonight before I came to your house I got so mad at my mother that I told her to kill herself so this is all my fault Lori Lori listen to me whatever happened and whoever's at fault God's not going to let you down right at this minute he wants to offer you his love and help girls Lori your dad wants to stay here for a while and see your mother if you want to stay with him no I I can't see her not yet I thought you might feel that way anyhow I told him if you wanted we'd take you home with us he'll pick you up on his way back oh thank you I really appreciate [Music] that that is in a good Hospital Dr B it's a wonderful doctor everything's going to be fine oh I'll get it come in how's Pauline well she was pretty sleepy when I saw her they must have given her something the doctor said she'll be okay good I just made some fresh coffee would you like a c oh I would thanks thanks for everything sure How's Mama your mom's okay how are you doing what did the police want just routine I guess names background possible causes causes I'm the cause I talked her into it I told her to kill herself but Daddy it's all my fault it's not true if it's anybody's fault it's mine if I hadn't walked out she she'd be okay now I hope you don't mind my getting into this conversation but neither one of you is to blame for what just happened I think Pauline has a problem that's a little more serious than you realize I'm familiar with the signs of alcoholism and I'm afraid that Pauline has shown several of them are you trying to tell me Pauline's an alcoholic my mother is not an alcoholic we sure she drinks a little bit has nothing to do with how much or how often a person drinks there are people who get loaded every night still they're not alcoholics but certain other people can take Just One Drink and they're hooked why don't you sit down and when alcohol becomes more important than anything when taking one drink creates an uncontrollable urge for another so sure bet you're dealing with something a lot more serious than a person who's just trying to escape from something or who's looking for a substitution for satisfaction in life but an alcoholic it sounds so awful alcoholism is a disease like uh We Heart diabetes it's a physical disease those who study the subject say that alcoholism is an allergy of the body combined with an obsession of the mind but it's also emotional that's what makes it so hard to deal with there are many reasons why people drink social pressure insecurity sometimes they just like the taste but whatever the reason once you cross that line alcohol becomes your God but there's hope I ought to know I'm an alcoholic myself you don't look so surprised I've got it under control have had for the past four years but I have to keep working at it an alcoholic is never cured I recognized Pauline's problem when they were Wheeling her out the minute she started screaming for that bottle but what you don't understand is that my mother doesn't drink that often that's right she goes on her little binges but in between times like Lori says she's all right right Mrs Harden sometimes she goes for three or four months without even touching this stuff yeah normally she's a very loving kind Dependable person but you know she can't handle her liquor too well when she does drink she gets so unreasonable it's like she's possessed it is happening more often I love her I love her so much but lately I just can't handle her or her problems even when she doesn't drink she's beginning to no she's not an alcoholic I always thought alcoholics were bums like those people you see on skid r with 12 million alcoholics in this country why do so many people think they're all un kid row but you don't understand what daddy said is true mother doesn't drink that often some alcoholics only drink once every year or two they're called periodics alcoholism like cancer comes in all forms sometimes it's a secret disease most of the time the victim won't admit it and neither will the family let me tell you my story when I married Roger I wasn't a Christian but I started going to church with him I didn't buy everything they taught but whatever Roger wanted I pretty much went along with for instance alcohol he was really against it and that was okay with me I'd never had a drink of hard liquor in my life but I did like the taste of wine but only wine nothing else wine couldn't make you an alcoholic could it wine beer hard liquor anything with alcohol in it can make you an alcoholic in my case at first it was just a glass of wine or two then a little more then a lot I didn't realize how much I'd come to depend on alcohol until one day I broke my leg I had to be in the hospital for a while when I couldn't get to a drink my body reacted I went into convulsions luckily Dr Bartlett took care of me you know the doctor we met earlier this evening he was really informed on the subject of treating alcoholism just a moment she got started on that stuff she C certainly wasn't herself she was in an alcoholic fog short tempered irrational here are some pamphlets on alcoholism the worst part was that I didn't realize what I was doing to the two people I loved more than anything in the world Kim and my husband I was making their lives utterly miserable anyway there is help available detoxification programs specially trained psychiatrists and alcoholic synonymous but more than anything I discovered what I really needed was a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ he gave me the strength I needed to go on and then I found once I had the problem under control that God was enough my life had a center it had Focus I didn't need to escape anymore [Music] I'm so glad you could come with me today daddy's been here every day but he thought I ought to wait a while before I came to visit mom it was probably a good idea for you and your mom to be aart until now I sure wish I could be anywhere else but here I can't get rid of the feeling that it's all my fault [Music] mama mommy you remember Mrs Harden don't you Hy I'm so sorry oh mama I bed it I'll try to do better next time maybe then you'll be [Music] happy you see she hasn't forgiven me she never will Lori I know how hard it is for you to understand this but what happened in there there well it's just a typical alcoholic Ploy of finding someone or something to blame she's sick I understand how you feel guilty but the problem is primarily hers it's not yours but I do feel guilty I said some terrible things to it that may be true but your mother's condition is what caused you to say those things no Lori when I was drunk I heard a lot of people with things that I had said just like your mother did but when I got sober I made a list of every single person I had harmed during my drinking years and I went to each one of them and I asked their forgiveness and they all forgave me all except two my father and myself he couldn't forgive me he had already died that caused me a lot of guilt guilt I thought I would never get rid of so Lori I went to God I asked his forgiveness feeling God's love helped me Separate Myself from the terrible guilt that I carried around over the cruel things I'd said and done to my father Lori it's possible that your mother has lost the meaning and direction in her life and alcoholism is a symptom of that is she going to be all right she'll find help in you she wants it and your father and friends but she has to open the door in the meantime give your life to Christ let him free you from the guilt you feel remember that's why he died on the cross for us and read the Bible it'll give you the strength and direction you need maybe you can share what you find with your mother God's word helped me it'll help your mother also Mama Mrs hardt and I are leaving now but I just wanted to tell you that I love you and God loves you too he'll forgive you mama and I forgive you I just hope you can forgive me too I'll see you tomorrow [Music]