least

to get a lottery ticket. The clerk pointed to the wine cooler and I shook my head 'no'. When he got my ticket I told him I'd quit drinking for good and he said "good for you!" Makes me wonder what they thought of me when I was the first one waiting for them to open at 8 am...But how nice it is to no longer be a regular customer.

I can't say enough good things about living sober. But the biggest and best thing is that I no longer hate myself. I feel like after the last three years I'm finally beginning to really live, not just exist, but 'live'. Makes me wonder how I carried on for those few years in a sick drunken fog...

The journey to sobriety hasn't always been easy, and has actually been pretty hard sometimes, but the rewards are so worth the trouble. I wake up feeling good and ready to enjoy the day. I'm sober and ready for anything that comes up, no worries about being too drunk or too sick to respond to any event. No more half-assed living, now I'm fully enjoying my life.

To anyone just starting out: stick with it, even when the going gets rough. The rewards are awesome!

KingsCross

How many times I've walked into the liquor store and seen the "lifers", the people that just have to be lifetime drinkers. They have a shopping cart and leathered skin, a resigned attitude. I always looked at them and wondered if I looked like that, or when I would look like that.

I'm so glad not to keep track of all my stores, rotating them so the clerks wouldn't know I had a problem. I'm pretty sure just looking at me would have told them that. Feeling more guilty buying on Monday instead of Friday. Trying to be chipper and "sober". Grateful for a "holiday" weekend so my buying would seem more appropriate. Ugh.

Nice post, least. I hope somebody notices me in the future like that. That would be uplifting.

Nevertheless

Yesterday afternoon I did what I love doing best. Flying RC airplanes.
After getting home and unloading most of the gear I realized something.
I made it all afternoon and all the way home without a thought of drinking. I drove by several liquor stores, and never gave it a thought. It was almost 100 degrees to boot. Even though I gave up "wanting" to drink a long time ago. I still looked at places that sell beer and remember.
16 months ago, thats the FIRST thing I did when leaving,and I always had to leave at 5oclock. I raced to the beer store.Now I stay until dark. I honestly thought it might take several years for this to happen. (coming home without thinking of drinking). But it happened yesterday at 15 months.
Yes to anyone new starting out, stick with it, because it is sooo worth it. The feeling to get the monkey off of my back and be free can't be explained. Well, maybe it can. Anyone that is, or has been a prisoner of alcohol knows what I mean.
Fred

artsoul

Thanks, least, for the great post. It's started my day off just right. Thanks for all your input here at SR, too. Your posts help me out a lot.

Keep up the good work!

IrishEyes88

I remember the one day, my husband went to the liquor store to get our nightly supply and the clerk asked him if he lived in a frat house!

My husband didn't get the art of store rotation.

Day 2 here! Feeling good!

Omega10

Thanks for an awesome post this morning, Least! Your posts never cease to make me smile!

DayWalker

Good for you least, sounds like you were a "regular" like I was at my local store. I would walk into the liquor store and the owner would sit a bottle of Popov and pack of Newport's on the counter without me even asking. He knew what I was there for.

Now I'm not only no longer a regular there but I dont even step foot in there because along with no longer drinking I quit smoking last week so he's probably wondering what happened to me lol

That's a great thing Glad to hear your doing so well!

Steve

fakesmiles

It's so relieving to see everyone's honesty here. Where in the world can you talk about how your thinking is in going to by your liquor. Kingcross, I had started going to out of town liquor stores and stock up and then hide my liquor in different places in the garage. I, too, wondered what those clerks thought of me. . . if they could tell I was an alcoholic.
My goodness. . . I can't believe I wrote that down. Thank you for your honesty.

mercurial me

I had various liquor stores stock my fav beer just for me. I should have bought stocks in the company!

Mel8899

I was more of a wine and beer drinker so I either rotated grocery/liquor stores or always bought way to much food to cover the fact that I was only there to buy alcohol! I on shudder at the amount of money I have spent on groceries I did not need!

wren

It's insane how we drinkers do that. What a waste of mental energy!
I no longer set foot into what was my primary store... they probably think I either moved or drank up my last dime, or worse.

MyGraySkies

I joked to my husband the other day that the liquor store that's about 10 minutes from my house has probably taken a serious hit to their profit margin since I sobered up. lol I wonder how long they were still ordering way too much extra vodka in "my" brand before they realized I wasn't coming in and buying it anymore?

Thank you for your post Least.