I covered all my wounds in my.... I hate using the word “racism”—I think at the time it wasn't meant that way—but you were called “wagon burner”, “chief”, and everything like that. I had a little more hair than this, and there were some things that I....
When I'd come home, my wife, being a teacher and living with me, knew there was something bothering me. Then my daughter was born. When she was four, she said, “Dad, you always smell like this every Sunday when we going to church.” That's when I decided to get out of the military and I proceeded to sober up.
I went back to university. While I worked full time, I went to the University of Alberta for seven years in political science and local administration. I lost two half-brothers to suicide. Instead of going to Fort McMurray as an electrician, I went back to university to study mental health, addictions and different therapy. From my own experience, I could write my own thesis, and I thought I'd challenge whoever was there. That's where that comes from, but I still need help on my own.
Can I just add one little thing to it? I still play baseball. I've been going to Phoenix for the last seven years to play baseball. I play for Team America. I'm this little Indian boy from northern Alberta, from Slave Lake. My father pitched semi-pro, close to it, and we have a Sinclair ball team at home in Slave Lake. We still play. This year our coach retired in Phoenix, and now I'm playing for Seattle. They did the best bidding for me, so I'm going to play for them. When that's done, after two weeks I'm off to the Pan Am Games in Australia. I'm pitching for Australia for the second year. I'm playing for the young guys, the 60 and under. I'm only 72.