Mike Runner Introduction, Part 1

Mike Runner brings a perspective to Wings Like Eagles that is unique and challenging.

I normally cover topics relating to the horror of having someone else bring darkness into the home.  Mike covers the same topics, but from a completely different angle.  He was the one who brought darkness to his family.  Mike is an alcoholic.

It is my hope that the perception of what we think we know about Family Crisis is shaken up a bit.  Because there is far more involved than we think.  Much can be understood by examining the other side, and I deeply appreciate Mike's willingness to help us gain understanding as he shares with us the mind as it is affected by alcoholism.

He isn't just an alcoholic.  He is an intelligent mind, has a bright, hopeful future, and he is my friend.  And this is his story.

NEVER ANONYMOUS

Kristi.  900 words or less you say?  Seriously?  But that will keep me from using my normal let’s see where this goes writing style and I will have to use foreign concepts like being concise.  I will not be able to end every thought by saying, “and another thing…”  Apparently less is more, and I am noticing that I have already used sixty-three words so I had better get started.  

My name is Michael Runner and I am 43 years old.  I was born in Upland, California and after moving to far off places like Rancho Cucamonga, and Chino Hills, I find myself living back in Upland.  (All are within a 10 mile radius of each other.)  I have 3 wonderful children.  Two girls and a boy, ages 16, 11 and 8. 

If you have not done so, please go back and read my friend Tracey Anne Halberg’s columns entitled “Stolen Innocence -- Rising Above the Ashes.”  Part 1 is Here.  Part 2 is Here.  Part 3 is Here.  Part 4 is Here.  Part 5 is here.  Tracey is a survivor of the type of horrible childhood that is rarely seen, other than in books or movies.  Tracey is a survivor of her childhood.  I had nothing to survive.  I may come off as arrogant in the beginning, but you will soon see where I am going with this.

As a child, my parents were wonderful and loving.  They are currently on a getaway for their forty-ninth wedding  anniversary.  There was never a moment growing up that I didn’t feel “safe” or loved.  We were not wealthy when I was young, but we were never in need.  As my father’s business thrived, we made our trek from the middle of the hill, to the top of the hill in Upland, and would have been considered upper middle class by the time I was 10 or so.   My home was like Leave it to Beaver,  Happy Days, or Family Ties.  My sister and I rarely heard arguing from my parents and certainly no yelling.  My Dad took time off from his business to coach my sports teams.  My Mom was always there and did not return to work part time until I was 11.  I could not have asked for better parents as a child or as an adult. 

Early grade school was a challenge as I had terrible asthma but I was fine by 4^th grade.  I was tested with a high IQ and entered the GATE program at an early age.  In high school, I really had too many friends.  I became a Christian during my freshman year and was very involved with the church and devout in my faith.  I was popular, though not in the usual be mean to the nerdy kids and go to all the cool parties type of way.  Fortunately, the ability to look down on people has never been in me.  I studied little, but always received As and Bs because I tested well and could write essays.  During my senior year I was in a successful new wave/rock band. 

I began college at Cal Poly Pomona, in California.  My life and future were bright.  They always had been. I remember 3 things from Cal Poly.  It is tough to get classes.  If you write about Jesus in a religious studies class you get an F.  And not everyone is a Republican.  Especially professors.   

I was able to make some money modeling, but I gave it up.  It was too difficult to drive into LA constantly, and I found the whole scene incredibly shallow.  

Dating was not, and had never been, a problem. 

I did a summer mission trip with Campus Crusade for Christ in Hawaii after my sophomore year.  Helping people and churches for the summer took my Christianity to a deeper level.  

I decided that I would do one more semester at Cal Poly and then transfer to Azusa Pacific and pursue a degree in Theology, which I did.  My path would be to pursue a doctorate and then teach graduate school or at a seminary.  In my senior year, I had some relationship problems which were the first problems of any sort that I had ever had.  Like everything else, I eventually outsmarted the problems and continued along my rosy path.

Upon graduation in 1993, I was engaged and suddenly my Dad’s business became of interest.  I wanted to take a break from school and got married and started a successful career, but I still planned to go back to graduate school at some point.   I didn’t much care for the business world in the beginning, but figured it out and was making a 6 figure income before I was 30.  I did ministry work on weekends and served both as a youth pastor and music minster minister at a small church.  My eldest daughter was born when I was 27 and my son when I was 32.

This all looks really good on paper.  I looked good on paper.  I was set up to be a success story.  I wasn’t allowed to have problems, but I (honestly) cared about others and believed I could help.  I often did.  When I graduated college I thought, Ok world, Mike is here.

Yet, serious problems began in my 20s that I had no idea how to handle, so I hid them.  Stuffed them.  Things began to fall apart in my late 20s and between the ages of thirty-two and forty-one, I went to hell and back.

My name is Mike, and I am an alcoholic.  900 words.