Hi All,
Made sure to do plenty of stretching before riding last night and my back actually held up OK for the most part. Definitely stiff and a little twinge-y, but all in all I was able to manage. Jumping lesson tonight will be a bit more challenging and it's the class my horse tends to act up in, so hoping it goes smoothly and doesn't put my back under too much pressure / too many jerking or sudden twists/movements. I feel like a 90 year old!! It's so true what they say, you never appreciate your health/mobility until it's threatened!
NL: I hear you on wishing you had something to substitute for drinking that allows you to just 'numb out' or just kind of switch off. Although yoga and horseback riding etc. offers me some headspace to zone out from work, it's not quite the same as being able to completely just tune out altogether. If you discover something, please share!!
Palmer: So happy you had the self awareness and self regard to take it slow after the incident with your mom, and not autopilot into frenzy-productive mode. That is real progress and a true gift of sobriety. Your comments about the author's perspective on drug vs alcohol addicts are interesting. It sparked a thought in my mind about the discussions in early sobriety when people question if they are a 'real' alcoholic, because of the associations with destitution and utter chaos, instability etc. I always liked the refrain that if alcohol is causing you problems, you have an alcohol problem. There are so many variants on the sliding scale of addictions, and I always think it is not only irrelevant or not beneficial to compare, it is pretty much impossible to do so with accuracy. Every individual has their own journey, their own demons and their own experiences/interpretation of those experiences. The same way eye witness accounts vary so wildly for many reasons. I think the mindset of an addict who holds their suffering in higher regard than that of others has a long way to go on the road to recovery. Perhaps this might be one of the underlying reasons for her relapse. Just some random conjecture!
Scotty: Weigh to go (get it? haha OK maybe too much caffeine for me today!) on the sugar cull and weight loss. you're resolve is truly inspirational and I'm delighted to hear you're reaping all kinds of benefits.
Hi Dee, Sunflower!