Follow one man’s daily reflection about his residential rehabilitation from substance abuse, the relationships developed, and the transformation from having entered into a program with skepticism, distrust, and low self-esteem to becoming more open and realistic about his substance abuse, understanding the things that are TRULY important, and the support mechanisms that have been built to support his continued sobriety.

The Rebound details the struggles of a man who has all of the things that a person works toward but that he was not ready for. This took place during a time where mental health had taken a tremendous toll in the pandemic, especially in the minority community. It is even tougher to come to terms with as a Black man in need of THERAPY. All his life he learned that “We are not supposed to have a ‘Therapist,’ we should figure it out on our own, muscle through.” It is the author’s hope that his shared experiences in rehab can give some in a similar circumstance hope because there is much to live for. To families or others that have someone they love experiencing the insidious nature of substance abuse, they need to know that as long as they are on this side of the grass… there is hope that their loved one can be truly healed.

About the Author

Born and raised on the streets of Harlem and the Bronx, Utaff W. Gordon loves the City of Savannah (C-Port), so he’s in the process of working with the dedicated community Recreational Coaches and local High School Coaches to develop a comprehensive program to afford more exposure for local top-tier athletes, as opposed to, the best and brightest defecting to Atlanta. Basketball is his life’s blood. He enjoys training the real young gamers, conducting camps, and watching other coaches experience what he has been experiencing for years. His immediate nuclear family consists of his wife, Cynthia, son, Ajmal, daughter, Abir (Harry), grandchildren Uziyah, Adara, Hani, Alani, Fahiym.

Gordon is a US Navy Veteran 1977–1982, E-5 Optician with Naval training, entered into education in 1985 at Orangeburg-Wilkinson H.S.; 1988 began with Savannah-Chatham County School System at DeRenne Middle School; 1989 Beach H.S.; 1995 Windsor Forest H.S.; 1998 Jasper County School District at Ridgeland Middle School; 2007 Hardeeville Middle/H.S.; 2009 Savannah-Chatham County School System at Scott Alternative Learning Center; 2012 Sol C. Johnson H.S.; he retired in 2020.