Adam Layland just finished his latest creation a dandelion he hopes has great potential for Lawn and garden shows in the western U.S.
WESTON-Adam Layland of Weston wants to help people rid themselves of addictions. He is trying to form a foundation called “The Thin Red Line”. He printed T-shirts and baseball hats with a logo he developed.
The Weston resident set up his addiction recovery displays at garden show recently and was surprised at the response he received from it.
If he sets up the display with t-shirts and baseball caps a design he created It translates into people talking about family members and friends that are addicts.
“The Thin Red Line represent the EKG heart line its thin and red when someone dies,” Layland said. “It also represents the line drug addicts walk in life and the bleeding heart represents the heartache addiction causes for families.”
He knows first-hand what addiction can do to a person and those around them.
“I married my high school sweetheart had two beautiful girls and was making a $100,000 in the restaurant business,” Layland said. “I was 24 years old buying a home in Idaho Falls and thought is this as good as it gets?”
That’s when he decided to start drinking alcohol. That drink was the beginning of a life of hell for a guy who had been working in restaurants since he was 16. He had a bright future ahead of him then he went on to become addicted to drugs.
The West Side High School graduate served time in prison, lost his job, home and family. Now he lives in his parent’s camp trailer with his dog and his second wife Traci.
“People can talk to councilors or religious leaders, but I have found talking to other recovered addicts someone who has been there makes the biggest difference to me,” he said. “I have been though the 12-step process of Alcoholics Anonymous and was clean for a time and then he had a rough patch.”
Over the years Layland watched the anguish family and friends go through watching family member
bout most addicts is the either stop by going to prison or death.”
He said the affect and shear pain family members go through as they helplessly watch loved ones deal with drug and alcohol abuse is hard to comprehend,” Layland said. “The things is a good share addicts would love to get out of it and get clean, but they don’t know how.”
When he got out of jail the first time, his father showed him how he could work with his hands bending, cutting and welding metal strips together to make flowers and other yard decorations.
His father started the yard art business in 2008.
The younger Layland took his creations to home and garden shows. If the money was good enough and it looked like he may have a future. They do a grueling 48 shows a year throughout the western states. Sometimes they might sell enough to make it worth their trip and some they don’t sell anything.
Preparing for shows means working 10 hours to all night to have enough inventory to sell.
Building yard art was put on hold as Adam and is wife turned themselves in to the Franklin County Sheriff this week for outstanding charges.
Traci was released and Adam hopes to get out soon. They want to get back to work building flowers for people and helping folks get clean from addictions with their newfound purpose.