Celebrating 29 Years of Sobriety

Labor Day 1989 was the start of a journey I never expected to take. 29 years ago yesterday in the parking lot of a bar called Happy Days Again; I stood in the parking lot after the bar closed waiting for my ride while drinking a Bud Light I didn't know it at the time, but it was the last drink I ever had.

I have been sober for more than half my life. Each anniversary is a mind-blowing miracle. I never was supposed to live to see 20 years old. Once I got sober, I never planned on staying sober. It was to get the heat off of me, get my head screwed on tight and fix the mess that was my life. It never happened the way I planned it. Despite all my resistance and negativity, not only did I quit drinking, but I was able to turn my life completely around. It took a lot longer than I wanted it to, but the promises did come true.

Having a lot of time under my belt does not equal having a perfect life. Life can be complicated. The past few weeks I have been battling anxiety. Anxiety consumes me. It paralyzes me. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. It stops all forward momentum. It sucks. But it passes. It used to be a fifth of bourbon was my cure for most everything, anxiety included. But I won’t pick up a drink over it. It doesn’t even cross my mind anymore. I have the tools that I have learned how to use in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has not only given me a new lease on life, but it has given me hope! Hope that by continuously practicing the principles of the program in all of my affairs not only will I stay sober but that my life will continue to improve one day a time.

The names and faces always change. AA itself has changed over the years but the message remains the same. Much like I did on Septemeber 4th, 1989, I will be in a meeting tonight. I am no longer that scared kid sitting alone in a smoke-filled basement. (Long gone are those days) But there will be other newcomer's, alone and afraid. I stick my hand out to them and wish that any message they hear is one that fills them with courage and hope. And it starts in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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