That whole not drinking thing...
ficus
get a 1 year token for that, but with some of my other extra curricular
activities (and the fact that I didn't lie about them) I won't be
receiving one today.
I was initially somewhat peeved about this, but the bottom line is that
I can't drink rationally or responsibly any more... I'm an alcoholic
and all I want to do anymore is get loaded and black out. AA has given
me the tools and the support to not drink on a daily basis, and I am
not walking away from the fellowship that has kept me from doing that.
I've met more wonderful people and gained spiritual growth that I
couldn't imagine, and I can't envision life without the program, so
there you have it. I came to it not to drink... the other stuff I'm
working on.
Besides, it was only one little goat...
Bill
not like you're using goat all the time, just here and there.
Congratulations, really, it's unbelievably impressive.
ficus
OK, maybe not.
It was kind of weird being congratulated and having to explain it to
people... it makes me a pariah in a lot of circles but that's fine...
if I have to switch up groups or something I will, but I'm not leaving
the fellowship.
"I haven't been 'sober' for a year, I just haven't drank..."
Most of you are lucky that you never saw how bad it got... about the
only things I didn't do was drink while driving and drink before work.
I didn't have to drink before work, my BAC was probably 0.08 or so when
I woke up.
My trash used to clink with empty fifths and liters.
"You know you're an alcoholic when:"
*A fifth of vodka in four or five hours doesn't get you drunk enough,
but you didn't eat yet.
*You walk to the liquor store at 9AM on a Saturday morning because
you're too drunk to drive and you buy a fifth and a quart of fat free
milk... because you're concerned about your cholesterol level.
*Your crack dealer doesn't want you coming by anymore because you're
too drunk (I've never done crack, but I've heard this one from a few
AA's).
*You drink 80+ gallons of vodka in a year. (Imagine that fish tank...)
(this was 2004 for me)
*You not only don't remember where your car is from last night... it
takes you three days to find it (again, heard this one).
I'm sure I can come up with some more... but I'd rather not experience
them myself, so I'll keep going to meetings.
Thanks, Bill, some non-program support helps right now.
Elisa (ficus's little sister)
give you a coin. oh well i am glad you are alcohol free. i think it is
harder to give up booze than anything else. it is everywhere since it
is leagal and most places have it even resturaunts. you can't smoke in
ny or cali but you sure can drink inside. good job ficus.
mary
sobriety. You should feel really great about yourself. I'm no
psychologist or alcoholism expert... but I hope my opinion means
something when I say that you have done an incredible thing.
- Miss Flint 1988
ficus
Cute kitties and vanilla candles for everybody. I appreciate it Mary!
Honesty is a big AA thing... which makes sense, by the time you drink
as I did you're lying about it like crazy too. I told my sponsor after
I told my band... he wouldn't have said anything to anyone but me, but
he was in AA for 10 years before he was sober three days, so he
sympathized with me, but his sponsor would have given him heat about
the token. I bought myself a little AA logo necklace... so there.
Most people in AA also have drug problems... coke, speed, pills, dope.
Most also can't use one without wanting all of them, which is called
cross addiction. After I had my little binge prior to finally staying
'sober' for a year, I did quit smoking for a month... I really
(honestly) mostly do it later on weekends with the occaisional post
game Tigers win bong hit thrown in. I don't like being high all day
anymore, that only worked when I was getting plastered too.
I really don't think I'm cross addicted, as I haven't had issues, but
as much as I like the recreational buzz from Mr. Natural if it somehow
leads back to drinking I'll have to shelve it too. Staying 'sober' is
certainly the most important thing I do every day after waking up and
breathing. If I drink one drink it's going to be a bottle... I am
unable to do it any other way any longer.
However, I hear if I do start up again the Five O'Clock vodka people
will come out with a special Saturday 7 AM edition for me... so there
is that to look forward to. ;-)
Doctechnical
person who has such a problem with your goat is happily ignoring the
sheep in his own eye (to mangle a metaphore or three). Does he think
he's doing you a favor, that he's helping you out? Fark'em. Fark'em in
the ear, fark'em in the other ear.
Sigh.
Ok, we obviously need a blonde joke at this point: A man is walking
down the bank of a river, trying to figure out where the nearest bridge
is so he can cross over. He sees a blonde on the opposite bank and
calls over "Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the other side of
the river?". The blonde thinks for a moment and replies "You're already
on the other side".
The veal, the waitress, try'em both.