5 September 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – September is National Recovery Month, and this week, KSN News is marking it with recovery week.
Each morning and evening, KSN’s Eddie Randle will focus on someone’s journey and how they taking their newfound gifts and paying them forward.
As each story highlights, the path to sobriety isn’t easy and staying on the recovery road has challenges.
Our first story highlights John Agnew. He has been in recovery for 20 years.
“Like yesterday, I remember sleeping under a bridge. I remember going from house to house.”
In the present time, John reflects on the past
“I remember that vividly. I won’t ever forget that.”
A life on the street robbed him of stability and trust.
“My story actually is so huge, and the journey is so wide.”
Sobriety and recovery gave it back.
“20 years, 20 plus years, it’s amazing.”
Amazing, not easy. He had a sentimental gold to work towards.
“I just wanted to be a good dad.”
He got involved in a sober living community.
“These guys were celebrating three and five years sober, and I thought, man, that is a lot. How do they do that?”
He climbed several steps, learned a list of lessons, and started passing them on.
“How to deal with situations that we weren’t able to deal with before, communication, understanding how other people feel. You know your role, your role in building relationships again, and so those things, those things that I teach, but the real teaching comes from my experience.”
“20 years, 20 plus years, it’s amazing.”
– John Agnew
Daniel Doerge met John through the DOC Work Release Program.
“The level of clarity I have now is unmatched,” Doerge said. “Kind of a stepping stone between being incarcerated and being back out as full civilian.”
“Working with individuals coming out of work release, I get to share my personal story with them sometimes, and when I share my personal story, they are like, wow,” Agnew said.
Basking in hope, they too can accomplish with many deem impossible.
“I received my expungement orders. I don’t have a criminal record in the system anymore, and that’s a huge, huge deal.”
Giving him something he can share with the ones he loves most.
“My family, my family, they were just so ecstatic.”
John Agnew’s family
Summing up 20 years of recovery takes a pause.
“Hope. Hope. Being able to give hope to people that their lives can be different,” Agnew added. “Live life with passion. I’m living my life passionately today.”
John’s story keeps getting better. He recently attended the Oxford House World Convention in Washington, DC and received the 8th annual Tony Perkins Alumni Award for being an example of someone who leaves Oxford House in good standing and becomes an associate member.