Louis’ Road to Recovery and Professional Success in the USA: Creative Stories #5

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Luis from France. Luis had a drinking problem; he lost his job, so he didn’t do well financially. Luis’s dream was to move to America, get treatment for his alcoholism, and pursue the American dream.  His dream came true when he applied, won the Green Card Lottery, and moved to the United States for a better life.

After Luis arrived in the United States, he found a job at a fast-food restaurant during the day, attended night school, and took English as a Second Language classes to improve his English.  He wanted to stop drinking alcohol like he used to in France, so he kept as busy as he could. While Luis was working and going to school, he tried not to drink, but he found it hard to resist the temptation of alcohol. 

One day, Luis had a bad day at work.  He felt he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to go home.  As he returned to his apartment, Luis felt very depressed.  He walked by a grocery store and went inside.  Luis saw a bunch of bottles of cheap wine in the back room.  The wine reminded him of the wine he used to drink in France.  He bought a bottle and drank it all in the parking lot. He wanted to go back to the grocery store and buy more wine. Luis realized that he didn’t care about the consequences of drinking.  This was something that he did when he was drinking in France. Luis realized he had a problem he couldn’t fix on his own. Luis decided that he needed help to stop drinking alcohol. So, he called the Alcohol and Drug Help Line to see what their services were like. After talking to a counselor on the phone, he learned about Alcoholics Anonymous. 

He decided to go to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Luis found a local AA meeting in his neighborhood and began attending the meetings once a week. He learned about the 12 steps to recovery from alcoholism and began doing what the AA members told him to do. He kept going to meetings and making himself accountable for his actions. He knew he had a problem, and he made it a priority to take care of himself.

At first, it was hard to quit drinking. He would have a few drinks, and it would be very tempting to drink alcohol. Yet, he was determined to quit drinking alcohol. He still had his bad days when he drank too much alcohol, but it was getting less frequent and less intense. His dreams of America were still there, but he no longer felt as hopeless as he did when he arrived in the United States.  Luis decided that he wanted to commit to not drinking any alcohol.  He started attending AA meetings daily and keeping up with his daily spiritual exercise.

After a while, Luis stopped drinking alcohol and felt he had control over his life again. He began to realize that he could stop drinking whenever he wanted.  He no longer depended on alcohol to feel good. Luis knew he needed to live sober and do everything he could to help himself stay sober. He knew he had a problem and didn’t want to live that way anymore. He also learned about the benefits of attending the meetings and how it could help him in other areas of his life.

Luis continued going to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings regularly, and he felt better than he had felt in years. His family was proud of him because he was finally caring for himself. When Luis’s family asked him what he was doing at the meetings, he told them about AA. The family was surprised that he was able to stop drinking. 

When he was sober for a while, Luis started to think about what he would like to do professionally. He wanted to help people and make a difference in other people’s lives. He was thinking about getting a certificate as a nursing assistant. He heard about this free certificate program from his evening English as a Second Language teacher, Maestro Sersea. Maestro Sersea worked for North Orange Community Education, part of North Orange County Community College District in Anaheim, California. So, Luis went to the Anaheim Campus of North Orange Community College District and registered to be part of the Nursing Assistant Program there. 

The program was free for all students. After completing the program, Luis would get his certificate as a nursing assistant. His goal was to complete the program and get his certificate.

The program taught him how to care for patients and gave him the knowledge and skills he needed to work in a hospital. He learned how to administer medication to a patient and gave them fluids. He also learned the difference between a healthy person and a sick person. He was also taught to take a patient’s vital signs and check their temperature. He learned the difference between a normal temperature and a fever. He was told that a normal body temperature is usually between 97 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A person with a fever usually has a temperature of 102 or higher. 

Luis completed the Nursing Assistant Program at the Anaheim Campus. He got his certificate at the graduation ceremony. When he got his certificate, he realized how far he had come. He felt he was ready to make a difference in other people’s lives. He felt he could make a difference in other people’s lives by helping them with their pain or emotional problems. He also wanted to be able to take care of his family in the future. He didn’t want them to have to worry about his drinking. He wanted to live the life he wanted, not just the one he had been living. His dream of being a nurse and helping people with their emotional problems had been fulfilled.

Luis applied for a job as a Nursing Assistant for different hospitals in Orange County, California.  He hoped he would find a good hospital where he could help patients and make a difference in their lives.  He attended several job interviews and was accepted by several hospitals, including Saint Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, and Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California. He picked Hoag Hospital and started working there.

He was excited to start working and helping people.  Luis wanted to be part of the team that helped the patients get better. He wanted to see them happy and healthy again. He felt that if he could help the patients, he would make a difference in their lives.

He would be helping them to have a better life and not have to struggle with pain or emotional problems like he had struggled with himself.

At first, he was assigned to work with an older patient who had been in and out of hospitals because he was having trouble with his heart.  This man had been going to different hospitals but never got the right care for his problem. He had been in and out of hospitals many times, and doctors had been unable to help him.  Luis wanted to help this man and ensure he got the right treatment for his heart condition.  He wanted him to be able to live a better life, so he would be able to enjoy life again. Luis knew that it would be a good feeling if he could make a difference in this man’s life.

He was very excited to work at Hoag Hospital.  Luis took his job as a Nursing Assistant seriously. He worked hard to learn the patients’ medical conditions and how to help them best.

He was very motivated and dedicated to his work at Hoag Hospital. He did a good job helping the patients and making a difference. He was proud of himself for getting this certificate. Luis’s mother was happy when he got the job at Hoag Hospital. She felt that he would be able to live the life he wanted. She told him to enjoy it and stay sober. 

Luis also wanted to be able to live a successful life. Luis felt that the job he was doing at Hoag Hospital was better than the one he had had at the fast food restaurant he had when he first moved to the United States of America. It was a job where he could make a difference in other people’s lives. It was a job where he could do something to improve their lives.  Luis had always thought that if he could help others, he could help himself. His goal was to be healthy and be around for his family. If he could get better, he could live a healthier and happier life and have a better chance of improving his life. Luis worked at Hoag Hospital until he retired 20 years later. He loved the work that he was doing, and he felt like he was making a difference in the patients’ lives. He was helping people who needed help and felt good about it. He wanted to help as many people as he could.

Although Luis had a rough start in the United States of America, he eventually got a better life. By focusing on his education and health, he beat his problem with alcoholism and became sober for life. He became a successful professional, and his family in France was very proud of him. Luis was able to work for Hoag Hospital for 20 years and help the patients there. He continued his education at night to become a Registered Nurse.  He is very happy with what he has achieved in his life. Luis is proud of himself for becoming a successful person.

English Learners, what did you think of this story? What did you like, and what did you want to be different? How would you continue this story? Add your insights in the comments section below.

Activity: Multiple-Choice Questions

Directions: Please take out a sheet of paper or use your notebook to write your answers. Once you write your answers on your paper, please review the answer key below.

1. Based on the passage, what motivated Luis to move to America?
   A) His desire to pursue the American dream
   B) His interest in learning English as a second language
   C) His hope for a better job opportunity
   D) His need for treatment for his alcoholism
2. What does the phrase “in context” mean in the passage?
   A) Understanding the literal meaning of a word
   B) Understanding the figurative meaning of a word
   C) Understanding the meaning of a word based on the surrounding text
   D) Understanding the historical meaning of a word
3. What was Luis’s initial job in the United States?
   A) Nursing Assistant
   B) Fast-food restaurant worker
   C) English as a Second Language teacher
   D) Alcoholics Anonymous counselor
4. According to the passage, what did Luis do to resist the temptation of alcohol?
   A) Attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
   B) Found a new job at a hospital
   C) Moved back to France
   D) Started drinking more alcohol
5. What did Luis’s mother advise him to do after getting a job at Hoag Hospital?
   A) Enjoy his success and continue to stay sober
   B) Quit his job and move back to France
   C) Pursue a different career path
   D) Start drinking alcohol again
6. What was Luis’s long-term goal in his career?
   A) To become a Registered Nurse
   B) To become a doctor
   C) To open his own fast-food restaurant
   D) To retire early and travel the world
7. What is the main idea of the passage?
   A) Luis’s journey from struggling with alcoholism to becoming a successful nursing assistant
   B) The benefits of attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for individuals with alcohol addiction
   C) The importance of foreign language education for immigrants in the United States
   D) The impact of family support on overcoming personal challenges
8. Based on the passage, what motivated Luis to pursue a career in healthcare?
   A) His desire to make a difference in other people’s lives
   B) His interest in learning about different medical conditions
   C) His need for a stable job with good benefits
   D) His aspiration to become financially independent
9. According to the passage, what did Luis do to improve his English skills?
   A) Took English as a Second Language classes
   B) Enrolled in a nursing assistant certificate program
   C) Attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings
   D) Applied for the Green Card Lottery
10. What is the author’s tone in describing Luis’s journey?
    A) Inspirational
    B) Critical
    C) Sarcastic
    D) Indifferent
11. What does the passage imply about Luis’s relationship with his family?
    A) They were supportive of his decision to move to America
    B) They were disappointed in his struggle with alcoholism
    C) They played a significant role in his recovery process
    D) They encouraged him to pursue a different career path
12. What did Luis do to overcome his alcohol addiction?
    A) Attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and followed the 12 steps
    B) Moved back to France and sought treatment there
    C) Started drinking alcohol in moderation instead of quitting completely
    D) Relied on his own willpower without seeking professional help
13. What did Luis’s experience at Hoag Hospital teach him about healthcare?
    A) The importance of administering medication to patients
    B) The difference between a healthy person and a sick person
    C) The value of working as part of a team to help patients
    D) The challenges of working with older patients
14. Based on the passage, what was Luis’s ultimate goal in pursuing a career in healthcare?
    A) To become financially independent
    B) To have a stable job with good benefits
    C) To make a difference in other people’s lives
    D) To gain recognition and praise from his family
15. How did Luis’s life change after completing the Nursing Assistant Program?
    A) He became a successful professional and achieved his dream of helping others
    B) He struggled to find employment in the healthcare field
    C) He decided to pursue a different career path outside of healthcare
    D) He realized that healthcare was not the right fit for him

Answer Key:

1. A
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. A
9. A
10. A
11. C
12. A
13. C
14. C
15. A