A Random Night for a Program Supervisor

3:30am - There's been a problem lately of someone in the Liahona Home sleeping in the living room on the couch. And yes, in a home with four men with four work schedules, that kind of thing is a problem.

I know that right now, as I type, it's 98% certain that someone is doing that right now. If by "someone", I mean, "The very person I talked to about this earlier today, yesterday, last week and last month."

Still sounds small, I know. But a failure to enforce one of our few rules only leads to greater violations of the more important rules. And that already happened once four days ago, and I don't want that happening again.

Guess I'll go over now. Alcoholics are like puppies. If you don't catch us in the act, we won't learn.

3:43am - I'm back now. Yeah, he was. First line of his defense was having the porch light off - another rule violation - and the bottom part of the door locked. That way the noise I'd make trying to get in the front door would give him time to sit up.

So I went in the back.

Second line of defense was that he "can't" sleep on the mattress in the bedroom, too hard. This I've heard from him before.

I pointed out that as it happened, I had been looking for a new mattress so as to address his concerns, and that he was still free to swap with any other guest if he wanted, but at the end of the day, this is a $150 place.

And not per night, or per week. Per month. I reminded him that that meant no mints on pillows or goose down mattresses.

I went over - again - the reasoning behind the rules, how few they were, and how important it was that such we have be followed. And how some small rule violations lead to medium rule violations and then too big a violation.

(I learned this method from my dad. Bore them to tears with the review, and it becomes it's own punishment.)

Third line of defense, that others are doing it or worse. I must say, I've been relieved in this non-profit enterprise that I've previously raised cats and teenagers. It's aided me, it truly has.

I spent some time in upbuilding, in case any reading this are worried. I had spoke true to him - and he knows this - that we are the nicest and most accommodating sober living home in Springfield. At least, and be consistent with being a sober living home.

Our rules are minimal - so as to give them leeway in their job schedules, and our program fee is miniscule and below actual cost.

I asked afterward if he and I were okay. He said we were. I hope we are. Less than three hours from now when others awake there and I do - or do not - get a complaint by text message about him on the couch, I'll know.

(I was called right about when I had finished writing the above.)

3:47am - Had to go back. He called to have me come over. It was a "rights" issue, as in what right did I have to come over at 3:30am. And through the back door.

I pointed out that had I tried to navigate a darkened porch and open a doubly locked door, there'd have been time to sit up and put blankets and pillow away. Then I'd not be able to talk about it, but would only get denials.

Then the question was about what right there was in general for these rules.

I explained as I had before the application had been filled out. That we're a sober living home operating under the specific federal law that pertains (and was created for) sober living homes. There are no landlord/tenant relations. There is no right to drink on premises, or smoke or for that matter, to sleep on a couch in the living room.

There is the right to pay a program fee and follow the house rules.

I did point out that there are other rights. For instance, the right of any guest to seek out a different sober living home that has rules more or less to their liking. With - in all cases I know of - bigger fees, though.

I pointed out that any guest has the right to seek out any apartment, trailer or house ran by a landlord. And the landlord would have no right to come over at 3:30am, and they could drink and smoke and sleep wherever they wanted in that place.

But that typically that would cost between $300 and $700 per month, depending.

I explained that this is a matter of what one is willing to pay for. That while I was in fact looking for any other mattress, that this place just is what is, a way station, a transitory living place, the point B between A, where you were, and C, where you hope to be.

I also mentioned that no one wants "no rules". I said that you mean you want no rules for yourself, if just you live there. I know you don't want the other three to have no rules.

In theory, there is an understanding now. I hope there is. I closed on my own last line of defense. The "If anyone is unhappy, I can pro-rate their fee back to them and aid them in driving them to any place they'd be happier."

I was not took up on that. But then, I never have been.