Wyman Wilson began selling Street Roots two years ago to support his habit, but his first stint with the vendor program didn’t last long. He had his badge pulled when he couldn’t remain sober enough to sell the paper.
It’s not the first job he’s lost due to his addiction, nor is it the first time he’s been clean and sober. But, since August 2013 he has been back to sobriety and since October 2013 he has been back at Street Roots, establishing a turf and a loyal customer base at Lovejoy Bakers in the Pearl District, where he can be found most mornings after 10 a.m.
Upon becoming sober last year, Wyman says, “It was a moment of clarity where by the grace of God, I guess I just came to one day and decided I wasn’t going to do this anymore.”
For an addict, a relapse is never off the table, and it can happen out of the blue.
“I go to a lot of meetings,” says Wyman. “I have a sponsor who’s been clean for 10 years and we usually meet once a week.” Beyond that, he now also has a hierarchy of support that he goes to if he ever feels tempted to use. “I definitely use the one-day-at-a-time mantra. But also I think things through. I play the whole picture out of what I will lose if I go back to drinking and using. If I’m having cravings or something I look at the big picture. If that doesn’t work I call somebody. If that doesn’t work I pray. There’s always something there. For every problem there’s a solution.”
Wyman says what keeps him sober these days is the knowledge of what his addiction has done to him mentally and physically, and his disillusionment with the life he used to lead. He no longer views drugs and booze as a means to a better life, and relishes the positive motivation that sobriety brings, the desire to keep pushing for something better. He enjoys selling Street Roots to make ends meet because of the sense of giving something back to people instead of just asking for money. He has written poetry for the paper, widened his circle of friends and begun saving money.
“I want to get a new pair of shoes,” he says. “I’d also like to take a trip back to see my sister in Connecticut. I just talked to her today.” The two used to be very close, but Wyman says they haven’t seen each other since 1994.
Wyman is currently in transitional housing through Central City Concern and is working on obtaining permanent housing. He has just completed a Rent Well course, which will help him with a security deposit for an apartment of his own.
“Street Roots gives me a little more dignity,” says Wyman. “I lost a lot of that when I was using. Street Roots is also a very humbling thing for me to do because I’m not making thousands of dollars a week, but I don’t look at it that way. Instead I look at it like I’m doing something productive. Everybody has their ups and downs and to me this is definitely an up.”