Sometimes you just need to hit bottom
Posted on 03. Aug, 2009 by Jesse in Blog
By now you’ve heard the news. The Super Bowl hero from just 18 months ago has been indicted on three felony weapons charges. Yes, Plaxico Burress made a real mess of things when he illegally carried a weapon into a nightclub last November and accidentally discharged it into his thigh. Now, the All-Pro wideout faces the biggest uphill battle of his life. If convicted on these charges, Burress could face a minimum of more than three years in jail.
Burress testified remorsefully on his own behalf today, but the federal grand jury didn’t see fit to excuse his reckless behavior. In fact, Burress’ lawyer doesn’t sound too optimistic, telling reporters: “When you have the mayor and the district attorney both publicly demanding a maximum prison sentence, it was perhaps too much to hope for the grand jury to conduct a sympathetic review of the unique facts of this sad case.”
Maybe it was wrong of Burress’ lawyers to expect any preferential treatment. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time an athlete of his magnitude was exonerated on charges that would ruin the life of an average Joe like you or me. Still, I think Plax’s lawyer summed the situation up succinctly when he used the word “sad.” It is sad. Not because I love Plax or am a Giants fan, I’m not. But sad because Burress is hitting the bottom, and I know how painful that process can be.
I’ve got a beautiful wife and three great kids. Two and a half years ago, I had alienated myself from them due to poor choices and an addiction problem. Thankfully, I never had any legal repercussions whatsoever. But still, when I found myself living on my own in a one bedroom apartment, I realized how badly I’d messed up. The bottom was unavoidably agonizing. The hardest months of my life. But sometimes you just need to hit bottom.
Fortunately for me, the bottom wasn’t my end. I was able to address my problems head on, and I’ve seen a miraculous turnaround over the past 30 months. My wife and I have reunited. We just celebrated our 13-year anniversary last month. The kids are great, and I certainly don’t take them for granted any more. See, sometimes you just don’t know how good you had it until you lose everything.
Not that Burress will ever read this post, but if he did, I’d tell him one thing. Don’t shy away from the gravity of your own mistakes. A man without scars can’t be trusted. Only someone who has been to the bottom and then came out on top could understand. My hope for Plax is that someday he’ll be able to look back on this test with pride. Like me, the bottom could actually end up being a blessing in disguise.
