Michael grew up in Chicago and served two tours in Iraq as an Army diesel mechanic and convoy driver. He was injured by an RPG, nearly losing his arm, and returned home with trauma that led to painkiller dependence and eventually heroin addiction. His life spiraled through drugs in nearly every major U.S. city, train-hopping cross-country, and the collapse of his marriage. After years of struggle, Denver became the turning point: he got on methadone, entered counseling, and has now been sober for nine months.
Michael hopes to become a drug counselor, believing his lived experience gives him insight into addiction others can’t fake. He says he can see through lies because he’s been on both sides. Younger people on the streets already come to him for advice, and he wants to extend that to a career helping others. Alongside him in the interview, another man (Kelso) speaks poetically about giving heart, soul, and spirit to all creatures—even raccoons, coyotes, and snakes—as part of a philosophy of service and survival. Together, their words show a mix of raw honesty, resilience, and spiritual searching, rooted in both hardship and hope.
