Remembering.

25May09

Today I am doing what the majority of our American population is doing, hanging out in the sun having fun (albeit without alcohol), grilling, slurping down watermelon, etc.
But I’m also remembering a conversation I had with a young man on a plane the last time I had a drink, about seven months ago.
I was flying [...]

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Sobraiku #6

21May09

only thing I need:

desire to not drink today
it’s my kind of club

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Tags: AA Third Tradition, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, haiku, not drinking, poetry, recovery, sober, Sobraiku, sobriety, sobriety poetry

Reason NOT to Drink #2 – kids’ birthday parties

19May09

Back in the day, I could always muster up a reason to drink:
Because something bad happened at work.
Because something good happened at work.
Because it was a beautiful spring/summer/fall/winter evening.
Because the kids were acting up and I needed to take the edge off.
Because I was at a party with strangers.
Because I was at a party with [...]

Filed under: Reasons NOT to Drink   |  7 Comments
Tags: AA program, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, birthday parties, change, kids, life, not drinking, party, recovery, sober, sobriety, staying sober

And now, a word on my sponsor.

07May09

I didn’t receive a whole lot of guidance on how to choose my AA sponsor.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a sponsor is someone who typically has a year of sobriety in the AA program, who has worked all 12 steps and who is ready to take a newcomer under her wing. She has to [...]

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Tags: AA, AA meeting, AA sponsor, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, finding an AA sponsor, friendship, life, newcomer to AA, recovery, relationships, sobriety, sponsor

Because they don’t give out 4-month chips in AA…

02May09

…I made one.
And I dedicate it to my friend, A., who celebrates four months in the program today.
A. and I used to work together, and we ran into each other at a speaker meeting last night. I had wondered how long it would take for me to encounter someone from my crazy, dysfunctional work world. [...]

Filed under: Chip-a-licious   |  9 Comments
Tags: 12-Step Program, AA, AA 4-month chip, AA chips, AA meeting, alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, friends in sobriety, getting sober, journey, life, not drinking, recovery, relationships, sobriety, staying sober