An Important Call (Cathedral)

Where I'm Calling From

Where are you calling from? You’re calling from a rehab, because you are an alcoholic. What more is there to do when you have to be in rehab? You can’t do your daily drinking, or going out to bars. So its best if you just find a partner to talk to. The narrator is in his second visit at rehab. He finds a buddy. He has J.P. J.P tells his story. All alcoholics’ stories are very sad. I don’t understand why J.P would ruin his life by drinking so much. For him, it all started out with beers leading to getting wasted and aggressive. In these Short stories by Carver all of our main characters are married. But is it true marriage? J.P falls in love with a Chimney Sweeper. He joins her family business, has everything he wants and needs. A wife, children, a house, and a job. But he seems to throw it all away by becoming an alcoholic. Why do people do that? If your life seems almost complete, why do you have to ruin it by throwing it all away?
“But I didn’t know if the could help me or not. Part of me wanted help. But there was another part.”(p.138) to be a recovering addict the person must want to change. An addict needs help and should ask for help. But I think there is always going to be a part of vey addict who ahs there seconds thoughts of just not asking for help and not changing. I feel bad for the narrator it seems as if he doesn’t know what he wants. He doesn’t know how to resolve his problems. He wants to call his wife; he wants to tell her where he is. But than at moment he wants to call his girlfriend who is also a drunk and who drove him to rehab drunk. But what is the point of calling the bad influence girlfriend? He should call his wife, tell her where he is. Maybe she might want to help and be there supporting him. Maybe what he needs is good support. He listens to J.P tell his stories trying to see how he can solve or fix his own problems. I can tell that he wants to call. He plans it.
Once again the story ends just like the other ones, with not a real ending. It keeps us wondering did he ever call his wife. I really hope he did. It would be good for him. The worst thing that could happen would be her hanging up, but she already shut him out of her life once. I don’t think it would be a change or shocking for him.