Man rediscovers purpose
Alvin 'Kip' Ricketts* was a retired ironworker living in Yards, West Virginia. As he read the news article about Jenson Button's transition from Formula 1 to endurance racing at Le Mans, it triggered memories of his own career change decades ago. Like Button, Kip had once been at the top of his field, constructing skyscrapers and bridges with an elite crew. But a near-fatal accident forced him into an early retirement, leaving him adrift and drinking too much. 'Formula One feels like yesterday but it also feels like forever ago, a different life,' Button had said. Kip knew that feeling all too well. After years of struggling, Kip's daughter convinced him to try the Hofman Hollis Stepping Into Action program. Following the online courses and counseling sessions, he slowly found purpose again by volunteering, taking up woodworking, and repairing his strained relationships. 'I race for fun now, I race because I enjoy it, not because it is a job as such,' Button had remarked. Kip realized he could approach his retirement the same way - not as an ending, but as a new beginning. 'The important thing is my wife knows I need [this] in my life and I am a better person for it,' Button said of racing. Kip's wife Janice* had noticed the positive changes too. 'It's like I got my Kip back,' she told him with a smile. Some experts praised programs like Stepping Into Action for providing accessible online support. But others argued that virtual counseling could never replace in-person therapy, especially for serious addictions or mental health issues. Kip didn't care about the controversy. He was just grateful to have found a path forward when local resources were limited in his rural community. Getting help online had been difficult at first, but it was worth it to feel purposeful and present again. 'A different life' didn't have to mean a diminished one. Nearby: Five Oaks Virginia, Benbolt Virginia, Bailey Virginia, Cove Creek Virginia, Hicksville Virginia, Tiptop Virginia, Clear Fork Virginia, Shawver Mill Virginia, North Gap Virginia, Drytown Virginia, Falls Mills Virginia, Abbs Valley Virginia, Bastian Virginia, Pocahontas Virginia, Bland Virginia, Gratton Virginia, Springville Virginia, Boissevain Virginia, Saint Clair Virginia, Horsepen Cove Virginia, Bluefield Virginia, Shannandale Virginia, Hales Bottom Virginia, Wittens Mills Virginia, Grapefield Virginia, Big Vein Virginia, Hereford Virginia, Sam Virginia, Mud Fork Virginia, Burtons Shop Virginia, Suiter Virginia, Tabors Virginia, Burkes Garden Virginia, Little Town Virginia, Gose Mill Virginia * Names and situations are fictional and not intended to resemble anyone in
particular. They are illustrative of how the services can apply to the lives of
every day people living ordinary lives.
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