Occasionally I (we) just like to count our days sober - Pt 22
Sober since October 24, 1997
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Otero County, New Mexico
Posts: 108
Once upon a time, I had 1 day sober! So far, so good.
Then I had 2 days.
Then I had 7!
Then came 14 days. After that I kind of lost track because I wasn't counting anymore.
I never realized one year arrived and went by because I rarely, if ever, thought about it.
One day I realized it had been over five years since I had become sober.
Ten years came and went.
So did fifteen years.
My awareness came back at a little before seventeen years sober in late September of 2014 when I found this site for my long-time buddy's son-in-law. I had to think back and try to figure out just what day it was when I quit. It was on Thursday, October 23, 1997. I had to use an online calendar because my first clear-headed day was on a Friday near the end of the month not long after my mother's birthday.
It has been 8,401 days, which is 23 years, since October 23, 1997, when I had my last drink. When I had my last drink, I didn't know it was going to be my last drink, it just kind of worked out that way.
Just talking about myself, looking back, my sobriety has been a state of mind that set in very quickly, pretty much in a matter of days. I guess that was kind of amazing because I had tried to quit over the previous 24 years and failed miserably. However, I wasn't even close to rock bottom. I was doing okay financially, I'd never been arrested or gotten into trouble, I'd never estranged any family members, or had any of the other horrors happen to me that often trigger a big push to sobriety. Like I mentioned above, when I had my last drink, I didn't know it was going to be my last drink, it just worked out that way. No biggie at the ultimate moment.
But I'll tell you something, though, every one of those 8,401 days since my last drink came one at a time, same as for everyone else. Over the last 23 years there have been moments when having a cold beer sounded pretty good on a hot day, or a few vodka and orange juice screwdrivers would have been nice for an aching back, but those thoughts never lasted long. Soft drinks, iced tea, and ibuprofen, along with my buddy of 62 years to talk to, have taken the places of what I used to do. I know everybody is different, but those have worked extremely well for me for 23 years now. To those just starting out, do like I have been doing - staying sober one day at a time. We ALL do it that way.
Then I had 2 days.
Then I had 7!
Then came 14 days. After that I kind of lost track because I wasn't counting anymore.
I never realized one year arrived and went by because I rarely, if ever, thought about it.
One day I realized it had been over five years since I had become sober.
Ten years came and went.
So did fifteen years.
My awareness came back at a little before seventeen years sober in late September of 2014 when I found this site for my long-time buddy's son-in-law. I had to think back and try to figure out just what day it was when I quit. It was on Thursday, October 23, 1997. I had to use an online calendar because my first clear-headed day was on a Friday near the end of the month not long after my mother's birthday.
It has been 8,401 days, which is 23 years, since October 23, 1997, when I had my last drink. When I had my last drink, I didn't know it was going to be my last drink, it just kind of worked out that way.
Just talking about myself, looking back, my sobriety has been a state of mind that set in very quickly, pretty much in a matter of days. I guess that was kind of amazing because I had tried to quit over the previous 24 years and failed miserably. However, I wasn't even close to rock bottom. I was doing okay financially, I'd never been arrested or gotten into trouble, I'd never estranged any family members, or had any of the other horrors happen to me that often trigger a big push to sobriety. Like I mentioned above, when I had my last drink, I didn't know it was going to be my last drink, it just worked out that way. No biggie at the ultimate moment.
But I'll tell you something, though, every one of those 8,401 days since my last drink came one at a time, same as for everyone else. Over the last 23 years there have been moments when having a cold beer sounded pretty good on a hot day, or a few vodka and orange juice screwdrivers would have been nice for an aching back, but those thoughts never lasted long. Soft drinks, iced tea, and ibuprofen, along with my buddy of 62 years to talk to, have taken the places of what I used to do. I know everybody is different, but those have worked extremely well for me for 23 years now. To those just starting out, do like I have been doing - staying sober one day at a time. We ALL do it that way.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 316
694 days since I last drank and found myself sobbing uncontrollably over ideas I made up in my head.
694 days since I was so hungover I couldn’t make it home without pulling over to vomit.
I’m so grateful and I don’t miss those feelings at all.
694 days since I was so hungover I couldn’t make it home without pulling over to vomit.
I’m so grateful and I don’t miss those feelings at all.
Life is Grand
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,039
When things get stressful, when I think that the world is trying to beat me up a bit, (lately there have been more than a few days like that), I concentrate on the one thing no one can take from me and that is my sober days, it is what keeps me going and keeps my gratitude in the forefront.
9692 Days Sober
9692 Days Sober
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