It's sometimes hard when you've had a bad day to turn things around and start off the next morning on a new path. You may be weighed down with guilt, you may feel a sense of hopelessness that you can fundamentally change certain things, you may feel like what's the point of starting over if you are going to have another relapse. But things can change. You can change.

Sometimes you just need to take it slow. You know, when you are on a mountain road you must slow down at the curves or you might hit the guard rail and slide down into a gully and never be found.

Take it slow. Think, one step at a time. One positive word, one positive action.

I'm just coming off some pain pills I was taking following a medical procedure. Opiates can mess with your mind real fast, but the worst thing about it is coming down, the tension you can feel, the mental confusion, the underlying depression. Even a so-called mild opiate can wreak havoc sometimes, though the withdrawal is certainly time limited.

The important thing is to hang on, don't panic, tell someone what's going on. We all know what comes goes up must come down. It's virtually a law of nature. It's also one of the tenets of Taoist thought.

This morning, I feel more like myself. And I'll get back into my normal routine. And I'll create something. And I'll take some action. And I'll try to put some good things in my body and get some exercise.

Music will help to bring healing to my soul. I listen to Bon Jovi, Springsteen, Seger and others. Tomorrow is the open mic and I hope to play some tunes there or read poetry.

Life situations change so rapidly nowadays. Life is far from static--if you are awake. And we must be cognizant of and prepared for the twists and turns.

Just like on a mountain road, say the Blue Ridge Parkway, where beauty abounds but danger also lurks beyond the next turn.