Escaping Myself: Lee B's Biography, a true story of sobriety and his best tall tales

A well known muralist in Western Colorado, Lee B. survived his aggressive alcoholism, now can he survive his sobriety?

He maintained sobriety for 56 years before his death in 2021. Despite a tumultuous childhood, abandonment by his parents and raised by his grandparents, moving off the reservation in New Mexico to the uranium rich mining camps of the Rocky Mountains, Lee managed to distinguish himself in the world of recovery and the world of art. His journey took him from the National Guard in Colorado to the Army in Hermanie, Pennsylvania, where he served on the Nike Missile Base and then deployed to Germany. Returning stateside, Lee managed to get entangled with the Chicago mob before fleeing home to Grand Junction, where he embraced life in a 12-Step program. Repeating many of the mistakes of his parents, including getting married six times (three times to the same woman), he eventually broke the pattern of generational transgressions to find and give forgiveness. His story is as shocking as it is inspiring.

Shortly before his passing, Lee wrote in his journal: "How can my resentment at mother, grandmother, Dad, the military, school system, mainstream religion, big government, big corporations, big powerful men and women be transformed into a healthy appreciation for other people's successes as well as my own? How can I use my biography as a teaching tool and an example of spiritual overcoming and transformation rather than just wallowing in self-pity, resentment, and hatred? Help me God, help me be Your servant for this whole project."

Content Warning:

Lee grew up in an era and area where prejudice and violence were common. This biography includes his struggles, remorse, and eventual triumph over these deficiencies. In this book, we can face our RAW prejudices, see where they came from, and hopefully rise above them and all the other struggles we face in our lives.