It was a challenging time for me, when I first came to McCauley. I had recently been a patient in a psychiatric hospital and had to leave behind a lot of possessions, a lot of friends, and an older, less healthy way of life.

What I recall the most was the home I went to, which was an E4C property. They welcomed me by taking me to a buffet dinner for a New Year’s celebration right on my first day. McCauley seemed a bit rough, but what I soon learned was that in rough areas all the kind and supportive people there quickly learn how to stick together.

On that first night, there were others who also battled mental illness, and it was a bit more chaotic than I had hoped for. Four of us shared a house without supervision. To be honest, I nearly chickened out and wanted to find another place to stay, but I had paid rent for the month and decided to wait for the month to end before doing so.

Right away I was accepted into the social groups at what is now called Meadow’s Place. I soon learned that having friends and staff members who understand the special needs of someone with schizoaffective disorder and anxiety is crucial. I ended up thriving. I wrote books, published them, and took all kinds of classes.

It was great because I found so many experiences here, from guitar classes by Steven Johnson to art classes, nights out to play sports or shoot pool, movie nights - and, the food was great.

I began to recover from my long hospital stay and soon found a job. Not long after, I explored being on the board and writing for Boyle McCauley News. Doing this was critical to my recovery because I love to write and needed something to do.

So many nice people stepped forward with support. David Prodan, then of E4C, got me paid work as a creative writing instructor. Jane Molstad, then the area’s Revitalization Coordinator with the City of Edmonton, hired me to take pictures around the community. Sadly, my camera was stolen during this time, but the community stepped in and got me a new one.

Now, 25 years later, I still love McCauley. I live on my own, write a great deal, do public speaking, and even still volunteer a little for Boyle McCauley News.

Leif Gregersen lives and writes in McCauley.