I'm grateful for being oblivious
 

I was just reading a post about the friends we keep in our sobriety and had a small epiphany.

Today I got to spend time with three of my best friends, hanging out at their house, enjoying a beautiful late afternoon in their backyard. I hadn't even thought about it until I opened a thread a moment ago, that while we were hanging out two of my friends had cracked open beers. It just didn't register as anything significant at the time. I was too engrossed in the conversation and joking around.

Holy heck! That kind of gives me a lot to be grateful for even if it's a small thing. I was so hung up on what should've mattered in that situation: friends I love, beautiful weather, two silly dogs, that the popping of cans went pretty much unnoticed.

Isn't that what I've wanted with my sobriety? The ability to participate in a full life again without a drinking obsession coloring every moment of it. I know I'm by no means cured, I never will be, but to have some measure of freedom against a constant compulsion to wreck my life over a drug may just be one of the greatest blessings I've had in my life.

Shoot! This makes me want to get back to working a proper 12th step. I want everyone who's struggling with alcohol to be able to have a moment like this.

That was beautiful.

That's nice. We can't drink or use for ourselves as individuals. Not everyone who drinks or uses is an alcoholic or an addict. Just same, I'm not eating meat now, my family cooks steaks or burgers, great I'm glad they can enjoy it, me I'm trying not eat meat for my own exploration, just like if my friends are smoking or drinking, cool for them, I'm staying sober for my own exploration and feeling that God feeling in my life.

Smoking is different though it travels through the air. Alcohol can't be airborne but smoke can be airborne. So if people are smoking we have to leave politely?