News / People
A Compelling Story of a Chef’s Journey is Explored in Coni Meyer’s Book Crystalline Moments
Success, Injury, Pain Killers, Alcohol, Suicide Thoughts, Recovery, Success…A Life Comes Full Circle!
Andrew Beam had always loved to cook. At a young age he was able to find jobs cooking and became a successful chef. He was even a chef for Frank Sinatra at his Palm Springs home. He is a very kind pleasant person who worked hard at his trade. After working at several restaurants and a country club he answered a simple ad on Craigslist. It was a job most any chef would covet.
He thought he had landed in the big time when he was accepted as a head chef for Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Hawaii. He and his wife had always dreamed of living in Hawaii and now their dream was coming true. He found a place to live close to where he would be working and mentally he was already living and working in Hawaii. He headed to San Francisco to complete the training for the position and had a fall that aggravated an injury that he had from a previous fall on the job. He was severely hurt. His future and his life came crumbling down around him.
He and his wife had sold everything they owned preparing for the move. Since in his mind he was already in Hawaii this injury was particularly devastating. He felt that he had let everyone down. His family, his employer and most important he let himself down.
In addition to not going to Hawaii, his mother-in-law that he had known for 30+ years and loved dearly passed from cancer. Because of his state of mind his marriage was suffering and financially they had no income after his disability ran out. He had to file bankruptcy and his marriage fell apart. His story is a story of a life that is ripped apart as he sinks into the depths of addiction due to pain pills and alcohol.
It is also a story of having crystalline moments that saved his life. A story of how what we think is the end is actually the beginning. It shows how to find the opportunities when there may not seem to be any.
You can read the entirety of Andrew Beam’s story, as well as many other inspiring stories in the book Crystalline Moments by Coni Meyers coming out January 7th
