O.B.D.

His name was O.B.D. He had no other name. He lived and died with that name. Old Born Drunk.

In the next blog to two, I would like to share with you the remarkable, true story of Old Born Drunk, a story that appears in a classic book titled, Twice Born Men. It was authored by Harold Begbie; published in 1909. The purpose of the book was to showcase twelve men whose lives had been radically transformed by God's power during the early days of the Salvation Army. My purpose for sharing it on this blog is to offer hope to those artists, celebrities and stars who are struggling with addiction. In some ways, the stars of Hollywood will have nothing in common with O.B.D, but if anybody, regardless of social status, is struggling with addiction, this story will assure them no matter how bad their problem is, there is hope and help in God.

A couple words before we start: in order to avoid garnering glory for any one individual other than God, the entirety of the book Twice Born Men was written using only nom de plums, monikers, and titles of affection. Old Born Drunk was the only exception, because, as I understand it, he had already passed away before the book was published. Secondly, I am rewriting the story in my own words since the original is written in very archaic vocabulary.

Now, let us begin.

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, had a motto: "Go for sinners, and go for the worst." In keeping with the spirit of that directive, a twenty-four year old girl went to work in London's notorious East Side. Because of her faithful and loving work with the lowest of the low, she became known as the Angel Adjutant. One day someone brought to her attention the man known as O.B.D, and suggested maybe she should try her hand at helping him. She agreed to the suggestion. However, when she actually met O.B.D, she seriously wondered if anything could be done for him.

O.B.D. lived up to his name. He had literally been born drunk. His parents had been hopeless alcoholics, and had taught him to drink from infancy. Perhaps he had what we would term in our society as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and there is a possibility he was partially brain dead, for he had a stupefied, soulless stare that never entirely left him all his days. He stunk beyond description, and his body was misshapen and short. His eyes were horribly swollen to mere slits.

But the Angel Adjutant was a game little lass, and she befriended O.B.D, though she never could be sure if he understood a thing she was saying to him. Finally, one day she made him understand that she wanted to visit his home, and he gave her his address.

To her utter amazement, she discovered that he was not only married, but had a son. More amazingly still was that neither his wife nor his son were alcoholics, though his wife did seem to have some issues - whether mentally or emotionally is undetermined. They lived in unspeakable squallor in a small, one roomed "house" that they rented for seven shillings a week. The room was filled with cats, guinea pigs, dogs, doves, and rabbits - their son's pets, even though he was not at home to enjoy them. In some miraculous way, they had contrived to find and keep him in a good "situation."

Through the kind and patient perseverence of the Angel Adjutant, O.B.D. and his wife began to come to service at the Salvation Army corp, but nothing seemed to be making any impression or to be having any effect on them. Both O.B.D and his wife were convinced that there was no hope for O.B.D, that he could not live without booze. Even the Angel Adjutant's fellow officers in the corp really wondered if perhaps O.B.D. and his wife were beyond help.

But that was before the revival meetings came to London's East side....

To be continued.