Ana Maria Hernandez and Norris Scott

00:06 Hello, my name is Anna Maria Hernandez. I am 30 years old. Today is Wednesday, October 21st, 2020. I am in Las Vegas, Nevada and I am here with my friend and Norris Scott.

00:21 How everybody my name is Maurice, I am 62 years old and today is Wednesday, October 21st, 2020. I'm located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

00:34 And I'm here with my friend Anna Marie.

00:38 Thank you Norris and thank you very much for trusting me enough to have this conversation with you today and they were here to talk a little bit about your recovery right start. How old were you when you first started using alcohol and drugs?

00:57 I would call and what led you to start using depression because I was the one being my cousin through marriage subnautica blood and sweat and they were they were assisted me and my first meeting 13 Going up, right? And so I think because they wanted to manipulate me into taking advantage of the fact. I was one pack of money. They offered me what they all said. We all have to do a lot of crystal methamphetamine.

01:57 Several several times and kept pressuring me into doing so just to shut them up and get to get the situation started. I gave Ben you were so young. And how long did you use for when you first started use it I never get it again cuz I was such a good time and so it didn't interest me. So I didn't stop using drugs again.

02:40 Musically until I was going to go and what led you to to do that.

02:49 I was just experimenting because of having family members in the family are doing a drug and I guess I'm in front of you, but they were going the other room and not not like I told me because I was too young. So I was kind of curious and open that type of environment.

03:16 What do you remember being one of your biggest difficulties in your life one of your biggest challenges while you were experiencing all of that?

03:29 I think probably lost a bomb.

03:34 Robert was here by the first being that he

03:41 Was introduced to me when I visit a Democrat when he was incarcerated for eight years of my life is my life. And then I'm really feeling least my mother in spit up and she took me out of state.

04:02 Many miles away so she died shortly after and I'm just as awful place makes 10 to 11 and then

04:16 1413 Ash Street Goldsboro, you know when she grew up in that sort of environment. So how old were you when you finally found recovery?

04:40 I'm as likely shoot right now. I'm not sure what age would I didn't know you were a weiner and myself and it was related to take drugs.

05:32 Boston people they will be recognized to pick up specialist. That would be cool. Can I go slow Circle because you yourself are peer recovery specialist today, but it was not a druggie amazing. It's all in your scary.

06:13 Famous little thing that interests me in want to ride to get involved in recovery is the fact that I'm I was looking at my life.

06:25 Now today is my recovery was going on back then I was motivated by the child and I am at my life my life. I don't have that was like something is wrong. So you wanted to get better because you wanted lessons in life is hard but really good inspiration to want to turn your life around and you know, like recovery is very very hard. Especially coming from your background where you grew up in a life where that's all you saw right and like your parents weren't really around for you. So

07:25 So having said that I spent three years of relaxing after coming out of sweet. I'm not going back out and then back to your last 22 meant I would but I don't really want to take it out to be recognized as a sobriety recovery. It was just okay, I wasn't willing to change cuz I'm at the red light going to need you to a grown-up h37 using drugs. And so that's all I knew so it took some time for me to come to the understanding cuz I have to pay the importance about changing inside.

08:25 As long as you outside, yeah, and that's that's actually so important because you didn't use for 22 years. You are just abstinence still want to do with that. So why the change you know what you're coming up on 5 years what happened? I think I'll ask him to do it.

09:04 Panache myself being honest with you cuz I said I may have liked to swing two years ago, but I wasn't honest enough to want to change and I and I still was living in this crossed reality. Oh, that's okay to be a criminal and and truck for you and I could still be able to get surviving in the Moonlight and knock and I wish I was just trying to do the right thing that's willing to buy go to any links to do it right thing because she's the best thing for me and my life. So that's what I'm up.

09:50 Stop today compared to Ben and you know each other a short. Of time about you that you are the hardest-working person that I know every day you get up with the intention of improving your life and the lives of others and that's really inspiring. Talk today. I learned that you want to make your bed.

10:20 Right with the idea of the company and my daughter make your bed. They have a company because the fact that you didn't take the time to appreciate. You know, what you just woke up from and what is your life like in recovery now?

10:47 I lost my green card.

10:54 My son in my life.

10:57 Happy Blessed Are we just don't talk like yourself, but you're my wife and my daughter was engaged and I'm having experienced at one point. I like I have not been activated my car payments to someone that had a young boy and he was using sorry to hear that being taken away from them when I have my own son. Then when I took place and look for Treasure appreciate that very much. I like you and you not even thought about looking forward to us being like a daughter.

11:57 Apartment, right looks nice when I have really needed it and opportunity to Spanish. The last 10 years. My daughter's been going to have you come into my life and be around but what was the question again? Recovery is Lake. What are you proud most proud of in your life right now?

12:57 Exercise in Oshkosh open up around 1 and I'm learning tools of recovery takes from the preaching the word long-term recovery. I'm very much involved with my support group of people around me that are close to me so that I can buy them happy teaching a Chihuahua and like many times. I need to be told you I've been able to come here on this, and I'm not letting that constantly remind me watch the others come to the door. But I've already expansion coming out of that. You know, I could be just like one of them if I'm not careful about the choices that make you remember

13:57 Your you mentioned that whenever you first in a recovery, you were inspired by the peer support specialist that came to where you were incarcerated at and you want to stop by human today you and yourself are a peer support specialist. So it all comes full circle, which is really cool. Yeah. So what message do you have for those people that are still out there and struggling that maybe your are looking to to get out of using what message do you have for them?

14:32 Accountable give you and understand what toothpaste to make that decision. You are no longer use drugs.

14:48 Organizer that was living in that mean. I'm not being aware of that. Give me a ride to the shelter by chose to call Tia and Panchos the shelter and I guess I woke up in the middle of night and I was thinking about how my life had become unmanageable. Hopefully these people and what their life has become unmanageable. And once I realize that it's like trying to be clean and sober even though I was not in writing but I did have a substantial by the time of not using so I know how to not use I know how to use it. So deciding to the truth when I would want to do I chose not to use.

15:48 In that moment, I was laying in my bed in middle of night and one of the things motivated, and I'm going to be like not able to join in Georgia because I've experienced in the last few years. I've been getting high on my son's birthday. So I don't want to go through that torture devastating feeling of not being a response for that failure thinking about how I wanted to open the train him as a teenager become a boxer world champion.

16:47 And so I was 22 years that I didn't spend enough to know that you got to have somebody help trying to sign after I no longer expect. I like to be managed by myself and just doing the right thing the best I possibly can and I took it one day at a time and time is continue to be at 7 months or years and 7 months. Congratulations.

17:42 I can tell that you in the short time. I've known you that you have really changed her life around and he's past two years and that's really nice to see you and that you touched on your higher power you so what role just got play in your life recovery mean to be honest. I have to have a constant contact with this high-powered lechuza caught God and I contact Mike Stanley go through his son Jesus Christ. So being a Christian I choose to on EX card.

18:42 Sing I am coming to you in whatever and that I'm being drug-free and I thank him for the day does amazing. I also got is also number one in my life. But I always feel so give everything up to God so he can carry me through. So I I've always known that we have that in common by me putting that as of one of my first priorities and I might need all my tummy when I'm waking up I get a chance to survive.

19:32 Relationships good what it what other kinds of things make you happy that you have found things to your recovery.

20:22 What makes me happy is my son and I

20:43 Opportunity to make them smile, right? They was like it has pretended to be a shower and that makes me happy that get someone like a comedian's enjoys. I'm making people laugh. I would be able to meet in and stuff like little things like that people's person. Go to connect with someone. You probably know that I got from you.

21:43 Bob seagren outside you talk about it. I know things like that makes me happy and I get the chance to make him happy by you do always engage with kids and you do always make people smile that you always compliment to you really do real people up. I have I have rarely seen you at work doing that.

22:26 What role does service play into your life and into your recovery?

22:33 Kaiser boring portable because if I don't have all of the other suggestions told me that you know how to keep it moist.

22:53 Call me and makes me feel like I'm done being a product. That's what their recovery committee and a minute I pick out in the movie. When I do that was very nice of you to bring people a lot of joy around you so much for the wonderful. What are you? What is your best accomplishment so far? I remember.

23:27 I remember when I was.

23:31 1213 years old and I want to become a boxer.

23:36 A little Scandal brat, right but it was a great show the walking down the street the first time you need to go to the store tonight. Sex store be where you know, how my God God. I just signed up for boxing tournament. I'm scared to lose and I'd be embarrassed enough.

24:36 And I

24:38 And now nothing Sports to me like son. Don't worry, you won't do it and I believe that and I'm trying to talk to my child life and I'm actually I think sometimes and that's something that we would never forget. And and also one day I was in Hollywood, California, and I'm at Muhammad Ali really.

25:38 You know what? I mean?

26:02 Winning boxing and meeting Muhammad Ali. Well, I thought you were going to ruin your life. You know, what you find yourself at this time, you know, not just abstinence from drugs, but actually practicing recovery on an everyday basis. That's a really huge feet.

26:37 . Spock and children shelter and you see that I was such a good idea of being told to sign up for the Shoppers program Connie beginners program. Yeah, absolutely and thanks to the program. You're where you're at today. And I guess my last question.

27:37 What hopes do you have for yourself? And for your future? No, given everything that you've gone through your entire life. You're in your sixties today coming up on 5 years of recovery soon. What are your hopes for your future? What do you what do you want? What do you expect? What do you see for yourself?

28:14 Staten Island Chicago my own emotional control. She isn't it.

28:31 I get a chance to understand that.

28:35 I was just going to do.

28:57 Send a ton of me ever having to experience that again, and it's also motivated. If I don't ever want to have two screens out of Elder as I thought about when I was around 2:30 o clock in my life by taking place in my life.

29:28 I want to see to it that I retire, you know, if an elder god is a dope fiend not as a crackhead out of a crystal and out of the question that's abusive drunk person in recovery helping others.

29:56 Cardinal

30:01 What's the weather?

30:06 Phoenix Senior Citizen Community not the one that's so I really do. Look forward to have that take place in my life and being able to change my lights to a brother.

30:51 Yes, I'm very proud of you. Yeah. Yeah, and I I look forward to you. You know what she even your dreams of continuing to be a person in recovery for the rest of Eternity. Yeah, you enjoy the last one number 18. I am not.

31:39 OK Google

31:47 Come on, I know it.

31:54 Is it one of the questions from The Break-Up?

32:07 All right.

32:15 Yeah, I want me just bring that up. Okay, so I have the questions up here. It looks like number eight in is do you have any regrets is that the one that you're interviewing what they've meant to you to you, as well?

32:48 So I met you here at my location 4 recovery because you're one of the volunteers and I started working here. And I remember that I was moving and I needed help and you offered to help me you did and I was pretty sure we were at my old apartment where and I was moving out because I was having a conflict with my roommates. That's then and you were at my house and then you saw an uncomfortable interaction. You know, I don't think that we even talk to each other anything, but it was very tense and I remember that without

33:32 Me asking you or anything that you stepped in and I think that you could just feel the tension and yes energy about letting go and about not feeling anger or or respect them because it was going to lead me anywhere and I I didn't have to ask you about it. But you would you give me very good very fatherly at bikes very very fatherly advice and I could tell that you continue thinking about that woman because a few weeks later a few weeks later and you wanted to talk to me about it. And you started talking to me like you said about you heard your sisters talking to their friends in the past and hear it you did. He really leveled with me and I'm like really good at lights.

34:32 And that's a very meaningful for me because as you know, my my dad is not in this country and I so I don't get to see him very often and you haven't very fatherly to me like in those who help me and see me through. So I really appreciate you again because I'm so I'm conscious contact list. I just want to put it in my heart. This is the type of thing that I mean, you're a wonderful personality.

35:28 Please give us gifts do and I know you'll get rid of me being able to see your father. Even though your father isn't here physically remind you see I'm not there physically. If I didn't have you reminded my son back when she was a neighbor that was taken away. I but you experienced having him killed aboard when my son was that Asian the right and then my daughter's at your age. Around. I mean, it could just give up having you in my life to feel the Border.

36:28 Tell me a joke that will receive from them and that we should. Championship.

36:35 I Do Cherish it. Alright, yeah.

36:46 How much time is it?