To those celebrating sobriety anniversaries today, or maybe just celebrating sobriety, congratulations. To those who improved their lives through willpower, determination and guts, well done. To those contemplating or preparing for change, I’m along for the ride—white knuckles, gnashing teeth, hope for tomorrow—I wish you all the best.
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Haiku for a new year:
Boomer stranglehold
on America’s future
’23 redux
~ ~ ~
Image by Christel Sagniez from Pixabay
The Other Stuff 
Daughter is celebrating one year sober today.🎉 Happy 2024 to you & yours, Jeff!
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Back atcha
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I’m committed to improving my health and my life through willpower, determination, and guts this year, so I’m right there with you.
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Your comment, Georgia, and your post, Jeff, reminded me of William Blake’s “Great things are done when men and mountains meet.” It’s definitely worth celebrating the victories over mountains (and hills, too)!
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Since my kids tell me I’m over the hill(s)–6 of them)), I guess I should be proud of my victories.
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I have a friend who has a shirt that says “Once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed” vroom vroom 🏎️
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May you find a path that leads you where you want to be. It is probably not the easiest of paths. It is one you have to choose to take despite its difficulties. And, it may not always be straight and narrow. It will bend. It will take you places you do not want to go, but go through them you must, if you want to get where you are going. All of this is to say, keep going. Even when it’s hard. The path is worth it and so are you.
I’ve been ‘not drinking’ since I got diagnosed with cancer about three years ago. I don’t casually drink any longer. It took a while to be able to say to people “No, thanks, I don’t drink” without feeling embarrassed or like I was denying other people’s wish for you to join them. I’m not ‘not drinking’ for any other reason than it was a recommendation by the health care provided during cancer recovery. So, I can drink. I just choose not to. And it is still hard to get through life without people offering it. Like, it’s hard for others to understand the position. I used to drink. I don’t any more. I can only imagine how hard it must be when your life depends on not drinking for reasons of addiction. The constant reminders and offers and the ever-present nature of drinking is everywhere. Good for you for passing it up and passing it by.
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Thanks. I’m glad to be sober. I took an out-of-town non-drinker-not-AA guest into a Butch McGuire’s–neighborhood dive bar, very festive at Christmastime. He was uncomfortable and said, “How do you know about this place?” Me, defensive: “It’s 4 blocks from my apt! Everyone knows about it. It’s a Chicago landmark, in a lot of movies. Great burgers.” Like, as a recovering alkie, I’m not allowed in a bar?
Happy New Year. No resolutions. I gotta stay in the now.
I have a question for you about WordPress, which I’ve despised ever since they laid “Block” into the site. The question is about Stats, though.
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Aw, now you’ve got me thinking about the Tune Inn, the dive bar with great burgers I used to go to in DC. We don’t really have divey establishments in Gettysburg, so I’m not sure how I would react in your friend’s situation. If it was crowded, I would have been uncomfortable for a whole different reason. Since I became a non-drinker, I HATE being around drunk people. I’m certain it’s because I know I used to be like that, and it embarrasses me. Do you want to email me your WP question? jeff.t.cann@gmail.com (I’ve definitely got a love/hate relationship going on with WP.)
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Thanks. I’ll email. Soon. It’s like the cable co. I have to shake off the frustration.
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Your final sentiment reminded me of Henry V:-
‘stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, disguise fair nature with hard-favored rage…’
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Go to it with a vengeance Jeff.
Kind regards
DD
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🙂 I actually started my writing with the haiku, but then i decided in the spirit of the new year, I should probably have an uplifting message instead.
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i’ve lost count of my sober days, but glad that there’s so many that they now seem normal. i’ve not set a new goal for 2024 yet … i’m still fighting this cold/virus thing i’ve had going on since xmas. but i do like challenging myself, so i will think of something eventually. HNY Jeff and family!
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I’ve lost track too. I was positive that I was completing my seventh year, and then I counted. I’ll be at 8 in a couple of weeks. I’m actually now trying to ween myself off the seltzer I replaced alcohol with. I read that seltzer isn’t great for tooth enamel and pretty much all of my water intake (except when exercising) has been seltzer.
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good luck! i didn’t know that about seltzer water, but i mainly drink water from the tap. 🙂
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Of course, right now I’m eating gummy bears so I guess I’m not *that* concerned about my teeth.
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Being drunk is celebrated in our society. Yet my worst experiences with alcohol include drinking 16 beers and puking my guts out. Or going to a schoolyard with frirends and vomiting over the side of the playground set. I’ve never had a hangover, but those sound like hella fun too. *sarcastic*
Come visit my blog and leave some comments, if you like
http://www.catxman.wordpress.com
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