The engagement

....... and even though I pestered her a lot and often didn't treat her very nice, eventually I asked Diane to marry me and she said yes. Our families were very surprised as were many of our friends.  I remember some of the well meaning remarks that we both received. Remarks like, it's not going to last or it can't work, he or she won't stick with you, you'll be disappointed.  We really didn't listen to a lot of what was being said we were just excited about starting our life together. My life continued to spiral out of control and after being busted for drug possession and the judge telling me that if I keep my nose clean and never touch the stuff again he would give me an absolute discharge. By late that same evening we were so loaded and drunk thinking what a fool that judge was.   Later that year Diane graduated from High school and we were married. We headed to Calgary to work and live as we both loved Calgary a lot. On our way to Calgary we stopped in Kindersley to visit relatives for the evening and they encouraged us to get jobs there and live and work in Kindersley.  So we thought if we could find work we'd stay for a bit then head to Calgary in the fall.   Diane and I both got jobs and an apartment within a couple of days. So then we settled in for a bit actually a long bit.  Over the next six years our lives and marriage turned into a nightmare.  We had two children by then and our lives and marriage were falling apart. The many addictions that seemed to plague my life were out of control.   I came to a point in my life that I realized that I was a disappointment to everyone and I could not even stand myself for what a failure I had become as a husband, father, friend and human being.  One day as I sat at my desk in my office and the door was closed........