wildart

Tomorrow, I will have been sober for seven months. I've had empty liquor bottles under my sink, and I've kept those cupboard doors closed for months and avoided looking under there.

Recently I noticed that one of my pipes was leaking. It's been leaking for a while and an unattractive stain is forming under there. I'll have to summon my landlord to come and fix it. The time had come to clear out my empties. So I took a deep breath, sucked it up and did it. I carried two bags of empty bottles out to my car and took them to the beer store.

The girl who worked there counted them up and said, "Are you getting any beer tonight?" I said no. Then she gave me the value of the empty bottles - $3.80.

I had tears in my eyes driving home. It was kind of novel to me. That's what I walk away from this with at the end of the day - $3.80. I was going to put the change somewhere symbolic. But really, I just want to spend it as quickly as possible.

suki44883

Thanks for sharing that! You could get one of those shadow boxes and arrange the money in a cool way in there and then either hang it on a wall or place it on a shelf. Kind of like how many businesses frame the first profit dollar they make?

suki44883

BTW - I LOVE your avatar!

CarolD

7 months? Well Done.....

lildawg

Ahh, those defining moments. At least that's what I call them. It's like you see everything so clearly in that one little moment, and you know, deep down, it's a turning point.

Yours is especially symbolic because you took away the visual representation of your drinking. It is like letting go of a best friend, but the best friend you're letting go of is that one who always gets you in trouble and makes you feel bad.

I don't know if I'd keep the money or not. I might put it in the donation box at the next AA meeting or something like that. Then again, I might buy a glass box at an antique store and keep that money in it on my dresser or something. Always something there to remind me, you know? After all that money spent, here's what was left -- $3.80 and an alcoholic trying to get a handle on life again.

LaFemme

Wow, great story and congrats on 7 months...I don't know, id be torn on getting rid of he money or enshrining it, eh, who am I kidding, spend it, get a piece of pastry with it or some other treat:-)

LexieCat

Oh, quit kidding yourself, LaFemme. Pastry, yeah, right.

Folks, she would be getting a MILKSHAKE.

Supercrew

Great Job!! I also finally turned in my empties, cans and bottles, from the last four months last week. I got $72.25, and I used the money to pay for a visit to Disneyland for me, my wife and my son! Well it didn't even cover one ticket, but I was able to buy lunch and a couple of sodas. But now all the evidence of my drinking life is gone!

firestorm090

If you attend AA meetings, I think I'd use that money to buy another down & out guy a cup of coffee, you never know, you could be setting the stage for a lifelong friendship.