SonomaGal

Today I was at the convenience store where I used to guiltily and all too frequently buy my beer and wine. I had a bad experience with the cashier about 2 years ago when he looked at the picture on my credit card, and said something like what happened to you? Completely taken aback I tried to tell him the pic was 5 years old and then smile (even though I was totally thrown). He said well your smile matches or something weird like that. I left really pissed and sad because he had just confirmed one of my worst alcoholic fears - that drinking was making me look horrible, and clearly only a stranger would feel comfortable saying something so overtly!

Since then whenever I see him I remember this interaction rather negatively. So today I'm there buying seltzer water and I'm looking at him, thinking about all this, and I realize he actually did me a HUGE FAVOR. Whether he actually meant to say I looked bad or not, the end result is that I felt seen, and ultimately that meant I couldn't hide much longer. In a really unique way he is one of the (random) people that contributed to my desire for real and lasting sobriety. I realized all this and felt this warm wave of forgiveness wash over me. When I thanked him at the end if the transaction, it was truly genuine and much more than he could ever know.

If anyone else has cool forgiveness, quirky or not, stories they'd like to share, bring em on! Thanks for reading!

awuh1

What this makes me think of is just how wrong we can be in our interpretation of events. As hurt as you were by what he said, it was a good thing he said it.

It humbles me to realize how limited my perspective is, and this itself can be comfort in times of adversity.

SonomaGal

Thanks awuh1, that's a unique perspective and you're so right. There are so many things that happen that seem bad at the time, and later with 20-20 hindsight are actually very good things. Honesty can hurt, but when it comes to serious stuff like alcoholism, it's pretty important to say it if you feel it.

Anna

That's a great story and I think anytime someone or something can help you to shift your perspective in a healthy way, it's great.

zjw

yeah when the guy at the convience store saw my name on my card and announced his father and my father where good friends and i decided to not shop at that store very often for booze so he wouldnt realize i was a drunk I started to realize that i was a drunk.......

*sigh*.

Alpha7

I recently found some photographs of myself from a few years ago, I was horrified at how I looked. It crossed my mind "why didn't anyone say anything?" I was bloated, red faced and in ill fitting clothes. Yet in my head I was oblivious, thinking I was in the shape of my late teens!

I'm intrigued to know what would have happened had I had a similar experience.

Great to hear how a negative has turned into a positive for you.

degadar

I was about a year into quitting and my mother gave me a bottle of beer for Christmas - just in case I "fancied a small one".

I was livid at the time but now see the funny side. It was a gift made out of kindness, even if slightly ill-judged. If I go around for Sunday lunch I'm still offered wine, even though I've not touched a drop for 11 years.

It's no wonder I had problems is it?