By Jake Luplow
Newport Beach, California. 30 years ago. Little Steve Simpson watched as waves crashed upon the shore, mesmerized by the way the sunlight rolled in on each wave, only to bleed into the sand and vanish forever. He turned just slightly, looking behind at a flying blue mass of feathers–and the strange man beholding such a creature. The blue Macaw circled in the air and flew back down landing upon the man’s shoulder. Steve stepped forth slowly, and took off like a streamline butterfly, weaving in and out of Fisherman’s Wharf, spying each man’s take of fish. As he found himself lost in the intricacies of life, the addictive gene lying dormant in his DNA began its slow awakening. And this memory would eventuate as an ember glowing beneath a canvas of black.
Many knew him as a drug addict, but many were privileged to see his transformation. And that’s what this is about: one man effectuating true and lasting change through the help of one organization.
Growing up, he experienced life in a broken family. His parents were always fighting. His dad was in the throes of an addiction; while his mother worked tiresomely to put food on the table.
Steve did have a few good memories, though, with his father. Most included sitting around and watching football games and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with chocolate milk.
Being that he grew up poor, he was always the kid who had hand-me-downs, and kids often made fun of him. “I can remember the soles of my shoes were always coming off, and so I would have to glue them back on, every day,” he said. And, to make matters worse, his family was constantly moving–about every two years–and he was faced with the task of making new friends and readjusting.
He found relief from poverty and teasing through intoxication. By the age of 11 years old, he was smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. He found he was able to fit in with those kinds of people.
One of his worst memories was on the fourth of July at his dad’s friend’s house. His mom came to get him and his siblings and said they were leaving. His dad came out of the house screaming and yelling at her. She put them in the car and left.
He and his sister bawled their eyes out, saying, “We want to see our dad. We want to see our dad.” After much persistence, his mom caved and drove them back. At that point they talked and were able to work something out. His dad’s life changed that day: He quit getting drunk and high. Since then he hasn’t gotten loaded.
As his family saw internal healing, Steve’s life began spiraling out of control. At the age of 15, he was introduced to methamphetamines. By the age of 16, he was using needles, and from there his addiction escalated to include all drugs under the sun. He became violent and involved himself in criminal activity. He says, “Fights were how I knew to let go of the emotions I had bottled up inside. And when I was high, it made it okay to be that way.”
That is how he lived his life, from the age of 15 until 31 years old. He lost every job he had because of his addiction, and he spent the majority of his life running from himself to stay high. “I didn’t like Steve. I didn’t like how Steve looked at life,” he said. He created a lot of wreckage in his family, to the point where they didn’t want to be around him.
The biggest breaking point for him to get clean was when everyone he knew was either in jail or dead. He checked himself into treatment, and started using two days after he got out. Having had nothing left to live for, he went on a deep, hard run with his addiction for six to seven months. He was smoking heroin, crack/cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine all at the same time. Consequently, he fell into a dark place where he didn’t have the will to live.
After attempting suicide a few times and still not wanting anything to do with sober living, his mom and sister gave him an ultimatum: either do something about his addiction or get out of their lives. He decided to reach out for help, and his mom took him to a place called Truly Motivated Transitional Living (Truly Motivated). Steve explained that a crucial “eye opener” for him was when his seven-year-old nephew said to him, “’Uncle Steve, why are you moving? Is it because you can’t stop doing drugs?’ That just ripped my gut out; I never want to be that kind of example for a kid.”
Steve was in and out of Truly Motivated a few times before he decided to stick around for good. Most times he fell into the trap of believing that he could handle his life on his own, without support and accountability. But this was all part of the process: He was still sober on his brief hiatuses; he just found himself slipping back into negative patterns while away from Truly Motivated.
About three weeks after coming back for the third time, Joseph Ottley, cofounder of Truly Motivated, pulled him into his office and told him he needed him to be the house manager at House One. “I didn’t want to do it, but I told him I would. He is the only person who has ever given me a shot in life to do something different,” he said.
Joe often has a weird way of doing things, but the result is always brilliant. And giving Steve such a huge responsibility so soon in his recovery was one of the best things for him. All at Truly Motivated attest to how much of an asset Steve is to the community.
Steve has been the house manager for three years, and he now has four years, four months, and 15 days clean and sober. He leads a vastly different life from the one he once knew intimately. He knows healing in his life and in the lives of his family. And he is a close mentor to many newly recovering addicts.
Truly Motivated is a faith based clean and sober living environment located in Yelm. In 2004, after spending seven years in the California penal system, Joseph Ottley cofounded this organization with the his wife Carmin, which now includes four living houses currently tenanted. Truly Motivated has 12 Step meetings, Genesis Change Groups, one-on-one mentorship, and many other services available to its residents.
“The concept of meeting people where they are at, loving them no matter what, and providing opportunities for people to change their lives is not just a noble concept but also a beautiful one. I think the greatest part for me is when people get the idea and they seize the moment and take full advantage of the opportunity they have been given, and they become successful. We see a lot of it: people working, going to school, getting married and having kids, reuniting with their families. We see a lot,” Joe said.
Joe is a part of the Strophy Foundation, an incentive based organization for all of Thurston County’s problem solving courts, and he organizes outreach projects within the community. He and his wife open the Truly Motivated doors to anyone needing a place to stay for the night, not just to the tenants. And they both are very much a part of each recovering addict’s life.
Carmin explained, “We are on site, and we love and mentor and keep people safe. Here, we live out our faith in front of people, setting the example for what we believe is the way to true and lasting change in Christ. We don’t mandate Christian living, but we set the example so our residents know they are always welcome at the foot of the cross.”
This organization operates entirely by donations, grants, and rent money. In the near future, they would like to be able to purchase House One, the hub of the community. And their big vision is to be able to open a quality detoxification center.
Joe and Carmin have created a recovery community, with the help of many, and together Truly Motivated reaches out to help others.
Lives change at Truly Motivated, not just Steve’s, but many. “Being a part of this place and being the house manager here has given me a chance at life that I never thought I’d have. It has given me the chance to see so many lives changed–just like mine,” Steve says.
You can find more information about Truly Motivated Transitional Living by visiting their website at www.tmtl.org.
