Originally Posted by
paulmh 
...all of these things are possible, now that I'm sober!
spot on Paul! That was a good post to read first thing in the morning.
The more I think about drinking, at the great distance (well..) of four-months-something, the more clear to me that it is that it is a kind of spiritual dying born of fear, as well as a great way of speeding up the actual physical process of dying.
When I think of all the time I spent drunk, it seems like a way of making things impossible: of shutting off possibilities because they were too frightening. Drunk, I could look at possibilities from a safe distance but never ever have to risk them.
People talk about "Dutch courage," but there should be a phrase like "Dutch cowardice"... (Apologies to any Dutch people reading this - it's just a turn of phrase...;o))