The Man Vs. The Meth: Allen Newcomb's Struggle
Jordan Tucker
Brigham Young University - Idaho

The Man Vs. The Meth: Allen Newcomb's Struggle It's not that you can't see the struggle that Allen had in his face, it's that he looks strong and happy despite that struggle. That's my first impression of the man as he lumbers through the large oak doors of the old Mexican restaurant where we had agreed to meet. He smiles as he recognizes me and heads in my direction. I haven't seen him for ten years and he has aged. As he moves towards me, I can't help but think of Paul Bunyan: He is bearded and massive. As we go through our introductions and catch up on the time that has passed, it's hard for me to get to the point of our meeting, something so personal and difficult to talk about. I am here to learn more about the man, and specifically, more about the battle he faced when he was younger. It's a struggle that he is ashamed of but, at the same time, proud of for overcoming. Allen Newcomb was once a heavy user of the drug known as "meth." He grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, in an area known as Inglewood. He was born there, the youngest of four boys. Allen (2011) describes how is his mother tried to protect him from the dangers of city-life. We didn't have a place to play, we lived in apartment and we had to walk a great distance to the nearest park, which our Mother would not allow us to do. She said it was too dangerous, and she was right. Everywhere you went, you could see violent gang- members and violence. My brothers and I stayed indoors almost every day.
His father was a plumber and was rarely home because he responded to industrial emergencies throughout the city. Allen's mother, also worked in a factory close to where they lived so the boys were often alone. He would spend time at his friend's houses while his parents were working and this is where he had his first experience with drugs. Allen (2011) states he was introduced to drugs by his friend. "I was about 12 years old. I went to my friend Patrick's house and he showed me a bag of green leaves and explained to me it was marijuana. I didn't want to try it at first but I eventually did." Allen began to spend a lot of time with Patrick and they would smoke drugs and find other chemicals to induce different "highs." For Allen, it was hard to get away from once it began. Between the ages of 12 and 17, he would get as much Marijuana as he could to maintain his high, and it only got worse as time progressed. He began to steal money from neighbors and others so that could he purchase more. Allen (2011) says that it was at a small party on a hot summer day in downtown Los Angeles when he first encountered what would later become the greatest adversary of his life. He was only 17. I walked into a room where many of my friends were. There was a lot of smoke in the room and it was dark. Some of the people were laughing but it was mostly quiet. Patrick came and told me they 'had a real party now'. I knew what meth was, after all I did grow up in L.A, but I had never tried it. I was pretty much hooked after my first use. It gave me so much pleasure I couldn't believe it, and it lasted for days. From then on, I did whatever I could to get more of it. (Newcomb, 2011)
This was the beginning of Allen's fall into a dark abyss that would take him a on a dark journey and eventually change him forever. By this point in Allen's life, his father had died and his two oldest brothers had left home. Allen's closest brother, Kyle Newcomb (2011), was still living with Allen at the time of his first exposure to meth and he describes the difficulty in watching Allen struggle. "We knew Allen. We knew he was a troubled kid and we did the best we could to get him out of it. He was stubborn and secretive and wouldn't allow anyone to get close to him. It was excruciating to watch him fall deeper and deeper in his mess." Kyle was not the only one that watched the deterioration of Allen into his addicted state. Heather Newcomb (2011), Allen's mother, was heartbroken by her son's addictions. As a mother, I should have seen the signs early on. I was too busy since my husband died trying to keep food on the table; I messed up as a mother. The other boys had been fine and had avoided this kind of trouble, and I didn't see it coming until it was too late. I would get home late at night after work and Allen would be gone. He would sneak out and he would ditch school. I did everything I could think of to keep him on track, but I failed.
It's hard for Allen's mother not to blame herself for her son's addictions. While she's sad about what happened, she realizes it was necessary for the change that was to happen in Allen's life. As hard as it was for Allen's family, the bad times were just beginning for him. Nearing the age of 18, he was caught with drugs and consequently served his first jail term. After he got out of prison, his mother, who said she couldn't deal with him anymore kicked him out of the house and Allen went to live with his friends in an old apartment downtown. "It was pretty bad, now that I look back at it." Allen (2011) says "We didn't care about keeping things clean at all. We would leave our food out to let rats and cockroaches gnaw on them and then we would eat it later. We were high out of our minds almost all of the time." This kind of life was quickly starting to wear him down. He looked much older than he actually was and his hygiene was terrible. Allen (2011) says that when he wasn't high, he felt like he was being pressed against a wall of nails. He had the worst headaches he had ever experienced in his life and continued to steal and was eventually kicked out of the apartment he was living in when his friends accused him of stealing their drugs. Allen (2011) describes this situation as the hardest part of his life. I knew I couldn't go home because my mom wouldn't take me in the way I had been behaving. I needed to get my fixes but I didn't have much of a stash left. I lived in my car for three months. I was scared out of my mind almost all the time. I was scared of the gangs and of starving and of the cold. I cried a lot when I wasn't high. I knew that this couldn't go on forever and that something had to change. I felt ashamed, but I could see no way out.
It's unfortunate that Allen had to sink so far before becoming humble and recognize his life needed to change. This was the first time that Allen met the man that would change his life and give him the courage to escape from his addictions. While he was begging for money one day, a man in a car stopped and offered him a job. The man seemed kind but Allen was suspicious. He didn't trust anyone, but he agreed to clean the man's yard for him the following day because he needed the money to eat. "When I went to clean the man's yard I noticed that he had pictures of Jesus all around his house and that he was a very religious man." (Newcomb, 2011) Allen began asking questions and the man explained that he was a member of the LDS church and that Allen was invited to go to church with him that Sunday if he wanted to know more. The man's name was Joseph Kimball. From Joseph, Allen learned about the Book of Mormon and the bible. He learned about Jesus and the atonement; He learned about the power of prayer. "I still felt the withdrawals. I quit using through the power of prayer but it was incredibly hard." (Newcomb, 2011) Despite the many long months of suffering, the withdrawals, and the pain, he began to win his battle against meth. He began to rely on prayer and the Savior to get himself back on solid ground. He attended the LDS church every week with Joseph Kimball and was eventually baptized at the age of 21. Joseph Kimball helped him get his diploma and eventually paid for Allen to serve a full-time mission in Illinois. Allen (2011) expresses gratitude for Joseph. "I am eternally grateful to that man and his willingness to help me at the most difficult time in my life. He said that the spirit told him to talk to me and I think that is the greatest miracle of my life. I would be dead if it weren't for Joseph Kimball." On returning home from his mission Allen was able to baptize his mother and two of his older brothers. Allen's mother (2011) states the joy she felt as seeing the change in her son. I don't know if it was part of the Lord's plan, the things that happened to Allen. I am eternally grateful to God for his intervention in Allen's life and for his intervention in my own life. I never expected Allen to become the man that he is today. He is a shining example of the ability of man to change, with the help of God.
Allen's life changed not only because someone helped him, but he was willing to make that change in his own life. If he hadn't been willing to make that change then no one could have helped him. When Allen looks back at his life now and looks at the things he has accomplished he is amazed by how far he sank and how far he climbed. He realizes that if someone had not intervened in his life he would have died at an early age, and all the great things that have happened since then would have never happened. Allen (2011) says his perspective on the human spirit has changed because of his experiences. "I fell so that I would become humble enough for miracles to be worked through me for the benefit of others. I used to think that humans were evil and destined to fail, I now know that we are strong and able to rise over any obstacles in our lives if only we have the faith." As I watch Allen leave, and I try to make sense of his story, I realize that in many small ways my life has followed the same pattern as his. When I make mistakes, I can't fix them until I am humbled and realize the damage those mistakes are causing. Allen's story has helped me realize not only the humanity and weakness that we all share, but the strength and positive impact we can have on each other's lives, if only we have the faith and willingness to change.

References
Newcomb, A. (2011) Personal Interview
Newcomb, H. (2011) Personal Interview
Newcomb, K. (2011) Personal Interview