Yea, that really says it all for me as well.
So what does it mean, "still with my arrested alcoholic illness", to me?
New natural state... I don't think about drinking anymore. Sure, the occasional thought, a commercial, out to dinner, apres ski, fishing, but it has no real power anymore. I just go about my life, as best I can. As best I can... That means lots of 6th and 7th step, for me anyway, often I need only to pray for the willingness, to be open, to change my thinking, or mood, or approach or whatever... It's not that much work... as long as I remember that it's a tool I should use whenever I am out of alignment.
It works when you work it... LOLOLOL
An AA friend of mine with years and years of dry time, successful by anyone's measure, thought he had it this time, 2 years running since his last relapse... he went out 2 weeks ago, got arrested, .25 BAC... now his future is uncertain.
I said to my wife, I can't relate to that, going back out with so much to lose and nothing to gain. Then I thought to myself, I must not be a "real" alcoholic, that's not something I would ever do. 
Well, not now anyway, not in my new natural state.
But it's that alcoholism that makes me think eF'd up things like ... that would never happen with me... but it's there and all I have to do is not forget it... Because in my old active alcoholic state, it is something I could, or could have, done
But I don't have to live in it, alcoholism, recovering, recovered, whatever...you know?