Dave writes about February 19th today. For me it is a significant day because 19 years ago I had what I hope is my last drink. I'll spare the details beyond that last day. You can find out more about some of my adventures by researching the sobriety link below this post.
It's something I had to do and if I hadn't, I really doubt I would be sitting here posting on a blog. I wouldn't be a member of the work force, a husband, a father. I'd probably be either in jail or dead. That's how much alcohol was controlling me.
By the grace of some good friends (You know who you are), I was able to get my life straightened out. It was a struggle at first but I started to understand the things being said in AA meetings and I applied them in my life. Day by day things started to improve and here I am starting year twenty. Not to say that things became easy once I became sober. It didn't. Today life is good but I'm not perfect by any means. I still have moments when I think like my old selfish alcoholic ways. Thank goodness I have a wife who knows when it is time to kick my ass and set me straight. I do my best to get to meetings when I can. If I am in a jam, I know I can call several friends to talk, get coffee or to take in a basketball or baseball game. That is what I am most grateful for.
Last month at the Maryland-Duke game I was with two life long friends. I grew up with them, went to school with them, drank with them and got sober with them. Standing around before the game, I thought that the three of us have sixty years sobriety. I remember thinking sixty days was a lot of time. Amazing!
I don't know what made me stop drinking but I've never questioned it. I just went along for the ride and I'm still on board for year twenty and then some. I guess I liked the saying I heard after every AA meeting. "Keep coming back". Hell, I was used to being told to scram.
The ticket stub on the left is from the Maryland-North Carolina basketball game from that day. It is the only reminder I have left of my drinking days. After I had a year sobriety I destroyed every drunken memento I had. These were mostly pictures. It was something I felt I had to do at the time. The only thing I kept was the ticket stub. One day I will explain to Benjamin its significance. One day. One day at a time.
2 comments:
Congrats, Bill!
I hope you realize what a gift you are, and what a talent you have in writing. Your blogs give me hope in all the arenas of our lives. Way to go Billy, for never backing down from what you believe.
Karen: one of the old ones from the neighborhood.
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