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Old 02-28-2016, 08:41 AM
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Metaphors

For some it's the Super Bowl. For me, it was always Oscars night.

It's been 20 years now since I moved to the city where I live. I was glad to move here. Still am. But the earliest years were rough. I left behind friends; making new ones proved harder in this big city. Left behind was annual bash at a friend's home, one still going strong, where we gathered on Oscars night for a giddy evening of predictions scored, speeches reviewed and -- of course -- fashions scrutinized. I missed it. Missed them.

So I threw my own Oscars bash for a party of one. Hors d' oeuvres, scorecards and -- of course -- wine. I'd take copious notes to inform the yearly Oscars review I sent to friends. Apparently, I had a flair. My annual recap became a popular forum for debating who got robbed, whatever Nicole or Julia wore and whose speeches were gracious reflections or self-indulgent babble.

As years went on, Oscars night began to run parallel to my life. One bottle turned into two. The notes grew less copious. What *did* Kate wear? I'd have to rely on online photo galleries for my annual "best dressed" pics. There were a couple years, at least, I didn't make it to best picture, having fallen asleep somewhere around best cinematography or best documentary feature. Finally, the recap fell to the past; when friends asked for it, I simply responded that it had run its course. The truth -- of course -- was that I was too fuzzy on too much of the ceremony to construct either pithy or substantive observations.

If you're new to sobriety and recovery, chances are there's a similar occasion in your life that has become a metaphor for addiction. A ghostly reflection of something that once brought joy or meaning.

You're here. And this is a great place to start. You'll find support and good counsel. You'll find others seeking to regain what was good, what held meaning, everything from singular events to life writ large.

Life changes with sobriety. It hurts less. The clarity it brings delivers both challenge and accomplishment. If you're just starting your journey, know that you won't be the same person by the time the next Oscars or next Super Bowl roll around.

You'll be better.
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Old 02-28-2016, 08:55 AM
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Thanks for taking the time to post this ven.
Very good xoxo
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Old 02-28-2016, 09:59 AM
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Thank you for the post, Venecia.

I used to accompany Oscar night with a bottle of wine too. I was my "bridge" between my non-perfect life and the "land of dreams".

Old bridges are burnt. Smoke cleared away. And Oscar nights get boring to my taste)
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Old 02-28-2016, 10:25 AM
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Great post Venecia!!

So many events in the year for me simply gave way to drinking, it's only now in Sobreity I can enjoy things for what they are on their own, without the need for alcohol!!

Thanks for sharing!!
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Old 02-28-2016, 12:19 PM
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Thanks, guys.

For most of us -- all of us, probably -- so many events and activities are drained of their appeal by addiction. I wanted to let our newcomers know that it won't always be that way, that sobriety and recovery can reconnect us. I've come to enjoy things like Oscars night again, though this year it coincides with the finale of "Downton Abbey." Hmmmm ... choices. Good thing on-demand is offered by my cable company.

And we do change, indeed. For the better.
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Old 02-28-2016, 12:38 PM
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Things like sitting on my back porch reading a book or going kayaking with my husband and dogs are a few of those situations I once couldn't imagine doing without a drink in hand. Now I do them without thinking of a drink at all.

Great thread, Venecia.
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Old 02-28-2016, 01:16 PM
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What a great post Venecia

Booze - first it makes our lives soft focus then it makes it unfocused
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Old 02-28-2016, 01:24 PM
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Thank you for that Ven

D
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Old 02-28-2016, 05:34 PM
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It's funny because like many the "New Year" would always be my Day 1. Then it was "I'll start after the Super Bowl" and then it slipped to after The Oscars (huge Oscar fan as well). The Oscars then gave way to after St. Patrick's Day and so on & so on until I was back to New Year's Day. I rode that merry-go-round for too many years to count.

I could never imagine participating in any of these events without a beer (or 12) or a glass of wine (read: bottle) in hand. Tonight marks my 2nd Oscar night sober. Wouldn't trade it for anything. Now I remember each award & every speech - no need to scour the Internet tomorrow a.m. to fill in the holes alcohol blacked out.

Great post & a perfect reminder to us all that life is better than I ever could have imagined sober.
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