Rod Harvey
@rodharvey
About
I was born in Hempstead, New York in 1967 and am theyoungest boy of six children. Icontinued my early years in New York until the age of fourteen, when my motheragreed to allow me to move to Brandon, Mississippi with relatives for theremaining part of my education. To beclear, this was at the request of myself and due strictly to the strong familyties that I had to Brandon, Mississippi. Not in any way to discount my motheror my relationship with her, and to date she continues to be a strong influencein my life.
In Brandon, Mississippi I attended Pearl Junior High, latertransferring to Piney Wood Country Life School, a private school (People ofColor) in Mississippi. After muchbegging to my mother to be transferred to a public school, my mother agreed tosend me to Brandon High School. At thispoint in my life the major events include meeting my former-wife and currentbest friend (Sharon Harvey), and my basketball career. Coach Matthew Evans has been and continues tobe a positive influence in my life. Istayed with several different family members during this time, and my motherwould send me packages.
Shortly after High School, I enrolled in U.S. Navy andmarried my high school sweet heart, Sharon. My first duty station was on the USS Implicit “MSO 455” in TacomaWashington. It also happens to be thesame place that I had my first introduction to crack cocaine, which ended upbeing a major negative influence in my life as time went by. This is also the first place that I had amajor loss to the drug cocaine and a close glimpse with death in a car accidentdue to the drug. From Tacoma WashingtonI then served in the Gulf war and re-enlisted there, serving a total of twotours. After the Gulf, I was stationedin Memphis TN, where I again began to see more clearly the losses I was havingdue to drug addiction, when I was sent to the ‘brig’ for 60 days in Memphis andanother 30 days in Charleston, SC. I wasdischarged from the military with a “Bad Conduct Discharge”. So, basically after 7 years of service, mynaval career ended because of a crack addiction. My wife had left me several times at thispoint in my life.
After I was discharged from the military I moved back toBrandon Mississippi and my wife and I attempted to work out our marriage, andraising our children. I was working atDenny’s and quickly worked my way up to a management position. Through several bumps and bruises, mymarriage, AND my addiction were not working out together. After anotherseparation I Eventually got into my car and just drove away. I ended up in Spokane Washington, were my sister Jean lived.
In Spokane I found a job with Shari’s, was living with mysister Jean, and wishing for my family back in Mississippi. Bottom line, I had burned too many bridges togo back. I met Kaari at my place ofemployment. After a while, I ended upback in Mississippi, trying to work things out with Sharon. Due to several different reasons, (addiction,her pain) we didn’t work out. Kaari cameto Mississippi to visit and she ended up pregnant. So BACK to Spokane Iwent. In all honestly, this pattern ofSpokane, Washington to Brandon, Mississippi and back to Spokane continued onfor several years.
I attended truckdriving school and began driving cross country, which was continent for myfamily situation because I had four children in Brandon with Sharon and onewith Kaari in Spokane. And at least thisway I was able to see them regularly. Just so happens that it was during this period of time that I met andended up having a child with Shawn Goss (Aiden) in Reno, NV.
I came close to death two more times while driving truck, infact I was convinced that I would die in a dirty hotel in Laredo, Texas/Mexicoalone and unfound. Bottom line is evenduring this period of time I was still convince that I didn’t have a drugaddiction.
I ended up in Spokane, with some more trials andtribulations. I also wrote a book“Crack, Love, N Pain” (which I wrote over a ten year spam, while in myaddiction). The ugly truth behind what youknow is right, and the decisions that you make anyway when you’readdicted.
By Kaari Harvey
