All Photographs + Text Copyright 2013 Christopher Keeley


[INLINE:barbarablaze89.jpg]
Born June 18, 1936. Atlantic New Jersey.



Barbara Blaze went to prison as a juvenile for murder. When she got out of prison she dedicated her life to helping Junkies. She died from Liver Cancer in the year 2000.

Blaze told me - When you are a fat kid, you are the joke. I wanted more than anything in the world to be a ballerina. but I ended up in the Roller Derby. What else can you become when you look like me? Then came Jail and it was no more tears ever again. Fuck with me now! Hate became my best friend; it was always there. Now I had a room full of friends who were scared to death of me, saying Anything you want Blaze.
The God Mother of Narcotics Anonymous passed away last night. Barbara Blaze from Atlantic City, NJ, has gone on to be with so many other heavy hitters; gone on to that big NA meeting in the sky. She passed with 26 years clean in NA. I wish to pass on to you a poem she wrote:

To All My Clean Babies In NA:
The Junkie Mother.
Now through you....
My dreams can come true....
Remember my years heavy with sorrow....
Make of these years ....
A torch for tomorrow...
Make my past.....
A road to light....
Believe in yourself....
Let none push you down....
Look upward to the stars...
For I will be with you....
Till no one dares keep you down....
The children of a junkie mother............From Blaze.
May the light from the love she has bestowed on this fellowship,
burn so bright, if the sun never shone again,
we would be warmed by her love.



Hi There,
My name is Gillis L. and I live in Regina, Saskatchewan. I was looking for
some NA humor....... we are having our twentieth convention and I'm MCing
it. That's why I was looking for some good jokes. On Sept 18/01 I lost a
good friend of mine to brain cancer, he lived to do 12 step work and do a
lot of 12 step work he did.

So out of curiosity I clicked on the link of
addicts that died. .......and once again I seen another friend of mine on
your site. That addict was Blaze, I had the privilege and honor to spend
about a week with Blaze when she came to Regina to speak at a Convention
about 10 years ago. She spent her entire time with me and my family, she
refused to get a hotel room and said to me that she wanted to spend her
time here with a family, a real family. Well we had a gas and had some real
memorable moments, one in particular was that after the convention on
Sunday we went out to the reserve, where I have plenty of relatives and I
took her to her first powwow.

She was totally amazed by all the colors and
bells and even more so by the heavy beating of the drums. I never really
noticed the impact that would have on a person until I lost track of her
for a moment I then looked around the tent to see her sitting by some
drummers and watching the dancers. When she looked at me there were tears
rolling down her face, she walked slowly over to me and said she has never
felt anything like this before in her entire life. I now look at powwows a
little differently.

I then got some of friends to come over and meet this
women from NewJersey, they had the full native outfits on and we got some
picture of her and her new Indian friends. She then asked my friend Dutch,
if she could pack him up and take him home. We all had a great laugh. I
then took her to my cousin and introduced her to him, and telling her he
was the Grand Chief of all the Indians in the province of Saskatchewan. She
was could not believe what she was hearing and then asked him if he was a
real Chief.

He started to laugh and asked her where she was from. We a
great visit with him and she was so interested to learn about Indians. She
then asked him if she could pack him up and take him home. We had another
great laugh.



But the interesting part comes now, When wife then and I parted of course
we go through pain and I was staying with my brother. All of a sudden the
phone rings:
Hello
Hi is Gillis there speaking Gillis, this is Blaze
That's all I needed to hear and I fell apart on the phone, I told that last
nite I was so full of pain that didn't think that I was going to last the
nite. She told that in the middle of the nite she felt that I was in pain
and that she had to phone me the following day to find out what was going
on. we talked for a long and this what friendship and love the NA way is
all about. Thank for posting that picture of her, I love her dearly.


Gillis

From: Don F
Date: Mon, Apr 9, 2012 at 1:25 AM
Subject: blaze rip T
Chris! You dont know. me and Im not much for writing but I felt compelled to do so.
I stumbled upon your page of dead friends and had tears streaming down my face.I was wondering what ever happened to blaze and googled her name I have this dreaded disease, Blaze and Greg where my idols.
Greg once shared that WE have a disease that we will all die with but most will die from. I read his story with 20 days clean and three days later he was the main speaker at east coast convention 1986 Im clean 5 months now
I almost died from this illness once again. As he said.. don't work the steps as long as you can stand it Blaze was like a shooting star A one of a kind.. They broke the mold,, What a card I got to know her some being from jersey.Dutch and Blaze to Jersey like peas to carrots
God Bless you for your kind words of such great trail blazers. My best friend died from this illness and was 8 days unidentified in morgue.He had 9 years clean at one point.
I went to h and i meeting today. Need to give it away.. as you did for me tonight
--

  • The Whole Dead Friends Memorial

  • Mary Ann Sears

  • Marcie

  • Mac Mcfadden

  • Dee Dee Ramone

  • Scott Gilbert

  • Meridith Edwards

  • Henry Shaw

  • Barbara Blaze

  • Carmelita Witherspoon

  • Lou Popham

  • Colin Anderson

  • Nadia Frey

  • William Houston

  • Mika

  • Willie Pompey

  • Pepe Acuna

  • richard Gaylord

  • Roger Teague

  • David Moorehead

  • Larry North

  • Marc Peters

  • Rootboy Slim

  • Laura

  • Nancy Burns

  • Kim Connell

  • Shawn Sharkey

  • Greg Pierce

  • Bob Berg

  • John Bramlett

  • Glen Hampton

  • Fast Eddie

  • Rinia 2.25.2006

  • John Joeseph Mayer

  • Pepe Acuna

  • Steve A's Story
    12.20.2009

  • Paradise Lost, Living, Dying and living again in Paradise Don S's Story
    12.20.2009

  • Adam K. - I grew up in Washington, D.C. I had every opportunity anyone could want.
    I grew up in a nice house in Georgetown, I had parents who loved me, and I went to one of the best private schools in the area.
    11.20.2009

  • Chris M. - I am the third of six kids. Grew up in Rockville, Md.
    11.19.2009

  • Michael M. - Transitioning from Drug Addiction and Criminality to Becoming a Productive Member of Society
    1.19.2009

  • REE'S STORY FROM PARADISE-THE FLORIDA KEYS.
    2.12.2008

  • Ken's Story - I started using when I was 10 years old, the drug was alcohol. .
    5.11.2007

  • Terry's Story - I kept starting meetings all over NY City because I found a home in Narcotics Anonymous and freedom from active addiction.
    2.23.2007

  • Roger Teague

  • Keith's Story - Clean at 17
    1.15.2007

  • Rajiv's Story - Our past good deeds bear their good fruits
    12.16.2006

  • William's Story - Radical Surgery
    3.22.2006

  • David Moorehead

  • Jody's Story
    2.14.2006

  • An LSD Experience
    1.08.2006

  • Scott Gilbert

  • Meridith Edwards

  • Lou Popham

  • Raphael's story
    1.03.2006

  • Lynne's story
    12.28.2005

  • Annie's Story
    11.19.2002


  • Dee Dee Ramone

  • Introduction to the Rape Stories
    02.01.2004


  • Vickie's Road to Recovery


  • The Methadone Perspective from 16 Recovering Addicts

  • Photographic Memories

  • Addict Review

  • Samantha's story

  • Debbie's story

  • Willie's story

  • Mimi's prison release talk

  • Yolanda

  • Daisy's experience

  • Bob Berg

  • Mary's Stories



  • robert barrett blogspot




  • Robert's Stories



  • a boy's story - The Spirit of Innocence The Gift of Sight

  • Chris's Interview 2001

  • Chris Keeley's Social Documentary Photography




  • Photographic Memories - Arts - Washington City Paper


  • Out of the Dark
    Art




  • In to the Light
    Art



  • Flashlight Artist
    Art



  • Heroin Times
    Art



  • Hey Wonderful Person, be Happy Joyous and Free.
    If you are an addict ?
    You Don't need (have) to S M O K E anything , EAT healthy ,
    Don't DRINK any Methadone , Moonshine
    or SWALLOW any PROZAC, Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor, (ANTI-depressant) tablets , SSRI (Selective Serrotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), Luvox (OCD),
    HUFF Anything, Take X
    or use any of the new drugs that are being invented everyday,( Anti-Anxiety Drugs, Anti-Psychotic Drugs, Anti-depressant Drugs, Mood Stabilizing Drugs).
    The PDR keeps getting fatter each year,
    the answer is
    Spiritual not Chemical

    TRY GOD (SPIRIT) instead
    stay clean and find a new way to live ,
    there is hope for any addict.
    You are no different,
    we can survive our emotions clean together and grow. TRY clean first.
    The chances are you are the problem and and total abstinence is the cure. Changes will happen overnight.
    Once you are clean and you still can't face life without drugs, then any psychiatrist can load you up
    with the latest chemical and the viscious cycle will progress to misery,
    degradation, dereliction, jails , institutions and death.
    If you keep doing what you are doing, you'll keep getting what you are getting.

    Help is a call away.(202) 299-4919 .

    The Last time miracle growth occured on any of these pages was around 12.28.2009É
    Have a great Day!

    And remember God (SPIRIT) Loves You

  • Daily DreamTime



  • Catskill Mountain Photographs



  • Catskills Mountain Photographs
    one



  • Catskill Mountains Photographs
    two



  • Early Work
    Art



  • May Isabel Medina Govin




  • Pureblood
    Photograph art series
    © Keeley 1991
    Art



  • Pureblood 2
    Photograph art series
    © Keeley 1991
    Art



  • Collage 1987 a
    Art



  • Collage 87 b
    Art



  • Collage 1987
    Art


  • User: addict | LibraryThing



  • artmuseum



  • Chris Keeley's
    Art Galleries



  • Art Resume

  • Work Resume

  • Photographic Memories

  • Addict Review

  • Sifnos Review

  • super cool links
    Chris keeley's resume
    secret surrealist society artwork
    dead friends
    newest sss art
    Chris keeley's art galleries
    rationalize,minimize and denial statements
    the Intervention Organization
    five and ten press - consulting iconoclast
    Narcotics Anonymous recovery links
    Narcotics Anonymous Recovery
    Chris Keeley's Social Documentary Photography
    activism
    Art links
    Big brother
    Blinded by Science
    Darkside / Gothic
    Dharma Road
    G E E K
    Maul
    Music
    Pirate
    radio
    W E I R D O
    What's Mailart
    Mailart List
    Scanner Links
    Drugs

  • Drug addiction

  • Debbie's Journey


  • Photographs
    Art




    Out of the Dark
    Art


    In to the Light
    Art





    Return to Intervention Home Page