Meet Alvin Byrd
Tell me about your childhood.
I grew up in the 5th Ward of Houston back in the 60’s. Anyone could discipline you on my street. All the women on the street took care of me. It was just me and my dad. My father was a cobbler. He made shoes. I was an average student, but I got a lot of attention because I didn’t have a mother. Schools in my neighborhood were real community focused. Even the teachers lived in my neighborhood and they knew my situation. I couldn’t get away with nothing. I didn’t miss anything, a lot of my friends didn’t have resources to participate in school functions or activities, my father always made sure I could participate.
How was your relationship with your Dad?
My best friend in the whole world. My father was a disciplinarian but also a very caring man. My father told me all the time he loved me and my friends thought that was weird. Did your daddy just tell you he loved you? My dad would kiss me on the cheek.
Did it impact you not knowing your mom?
I had abandonment issues and subconsciously never knew that. Still hasn’t seen my mother to this day. Always used stepmothers as my mother figure. Everyone that was absent in my life, I would shape them into what I thought that person should be. Lot of soul searching, a lot of insightfulness, I learned how to work with people. I was very selfish before going to treatment.
What led you to getting treatment?
One of my best friends overdosed right in front of me. While that didn’t stop me, it made me become aware it could happen to me. You can’t frighten people to do the right thing. They can always circumvent the dangers. It was a wakeup. Absolutely. Didn’t head to it right away. Oct 9, 1996 is my sobriety date. Friend died in September. Always in the back of my mind. I was demonstrating the same behaviors my friend was. Going to the same places doing the same things.
I took care of all my dad’s finances in my neighborhood. He gave me $50 for doing this. One day at the end of September I kept all of his money. That month, that year I didn’t do that, I spent his money. It took me four days to go four blocks. Everything I did, I did in my neighborhood. When I was using, I couldn’t face my father. When I did get in front of my father he cried. Not because of what I did, but because he thought something had happened to me. The guilt and shame and remorse are what led me to getting some help.
During that whole time, its learning about who you are. Lot of things I didn’t know about myself that I didn’t want to face. I thought I was the only one living that way.
Most enlightening things I learned was that I didn’t have to fear the punishment of God. In my family, God was a punishing god. A friend named Doug told me I need to get rid of that punishing God, you are walking on eggshells. I’m going to loan you my loving and caring god. You don’t like it you can give it back and I’ll give it to someone else.
Did you feel a connection with the loving God?
Absolutely, right away. It was natural. He is all that.
What was different about when you finally decided to get help?
I think Alvin got out of the way. I was out to kill myself and really didn’t know it.
Why were you out to kill yourself?
You don’t know you’re doing it. Committing suicide is an intentional act. People leave a note. I was too stupid to do it that way. I was a coward. I knew the way I was living was not the way I was taught. When you have internal struggles, it’s not about the bad trying to make you good, sick people are trying to become well. You don’t know how sick you are until you try to become well.
Tell me about your career.
Worked for solid waste, I used to hide when I had a route that people new me. I didn’t want people to see me because I was Alvin Byrd. Once I became aware of who I really was, I didn’t go back to solid waste. I went to a place to help me find a job. Never gotten a job on my own prior to that. I went to Career and Recovery Resources. SEARCH was across the street. Just wanted to get off the street. I got a job thanks to Career and Recovery. The most important thing about it was I didn’t quit.
How did you know you got to your ideal job?
After I got sober. Jarvis Johnson gave me my first job in politics. I was his constituent services director for 6 years. I got involved in my neighborhood after I got clean. I became the President of the Super Neighborhood Council. I was the first president of the 5th Ward Super Neighborhood Council. I was the youngest one on the Council.
What attracted you to getting involved in the 5th Ward Super Neighborhood Council?
The seniors in the neighborhood made me do it. I did all my destruction there and they wanted me to come in so they could watch me. We need to keep our eye on you.
