In Austin I knew a group of people who later told me they were recovering heroin addicts. They had stuck together after leaving rehab in Kerrville, Texas. Most of them were each other’s roommates. The idea was that if one of them relapsed, their friends, who would understand what was going on more than anyone else ever could, would immediately do something about it before it got too bad.

A few of them did relapse. A few of them got better too.

I think about them sometimes. They were all beautiful people.