I volunteer at a Recuperation Center that helped me through my ups and downs. During one of the Center’s bus trips into Boston, two of the members were getting on the bus after spending 4 hours at Harborside events. The director of the Center, who was sitting at the front of the bus, went verbally wild about smelling the strong scent of vodka on individuals getting on the bus. (Remember, we had been in Boston for 4 hours). Well, the smell was the “hand sanitizer” the bus company had for its clients. Two female members had used the sanitizer before going to their seats. The verbal abuse and false exposure brought the women to tears.

If you are in recovery and someone accuses you of relapse in front of your peers, it can hurt, if not cause mental damage.

Note: I am sure most readers have experienced using various sanitizers over the past few years. It is a trend that benefits many people. It also can cause serious accusations or real problems–and this website is about “Reality”. So please, be aware of the potential miscommunication that your brain might create when stimulated by the smell.

Let me tell you of another real event that had more serious consequences.

While attempting to get back on my feet, I was hired by Google Shopping Express which is a start-up division of Goggle. The vision is to compete with Amazon and deliver goods directly to the door of the buyers. Same day service.

When you are homeless, eating and hygiene becomes an art form. A fast food restaurant restroom is a changing room, shower, and bathroom all together. Sanitizer is your deodorant for parts of your body and face. During my evaluation period at GSE, all my test deliveries with a management went extremely well. Except the final test day felt different. The next day, when I called my hiring manager for new orders, I was told that alcohol was smelled during my last trial day. Therefore, I was not Google material. Personally, after having been a successful executive with a six figure income, being let go from a $10 an hour job was no less than total humiliation.

It was not until 3 months later at a Addiction Recovery Education Session that I realized what had happened. Anyone can tell you that the person in recovery can smell most any drug a mile away. At, Adware, a recovery school, it is mandatory to use “hand sanitizer” when possible. The PhD. instructor commented on the stupidity of having to use alcohol hand cleaner that smelled like Vodka. That is when it hit me. I lost the job due to body smell. Smell – The Real Shit You Will Experience

This post is dedicated to raising awareness of that quick judgment of the person next to you. It could cause more hurt than you can imagine.

Brian Masters

brianmasters919@gmail.com