Class of November 2016 Support Thread Part 7
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 523
I am totally overwhelmed with emotion by all your lovely and supporting words. I feel incredibly lucky to have found this place and people like you. I was nervous about sharing such private and emotional content and putting it out there for everyone to read. But it's also a big relief. Steely you're right, secrets destroy us, they tear us down. And if we keep things a secret no one sees our suffering or will be able to understand and help us.
Phoenix, I still think your name is the best match. I read your story a while ago and was touched, shocked and impressed by it, how you managed to emerge from the ashes and built up a new life again where there was barely any life left. Your story is probably the best reminder that there's ALWAYS hope as long as we are alive. You must be amongst the strongest people of this lovely planet.
The who's and why's help me to detangel all this mess of mixed emotions and enable me to identify them to then hopefully be able to deal with them. I'm a pretty rational person and not very skilled on the whole emotions-topic so analysing is important.
Thank you for your empathy and support, I offer the same to you. Together we are stronger.
Back to your post, Steely. I love that vision you described, it formed into a little scene in my head where we're walking along a sunny path in the mountains, up again towards the light and the sun. It made me tear up too. Not because of sadness though but of the amount of compassion, love and understanding. I was so overwhelmed I just couldn't reply last night. I guess I'm just not used to receiving so much support and feeling welcome, safe and accepted.
Pheonix your second post added to that image in my head. I will try to remember it whenever I feel alone and hopeless. Wonderful words.
At first I thought sobriety made me voulnerable but I do no longer believe that, it makes us much stronger. Strong enough to be the best versions we can be. We no longer have to hide from our secrets and feelings. We finally become strong enough to face them and to deal with our past and then let go. Free ourselves from that extra baggage we've carried for way too long and walk into a brighter future.
I love your elephants too Steely, nothing wrong with a good bit of kitsch, especially when it has its very own, important meaning. I'd like to print them out and pin them on my wall as a reminder of all the things you said in your lovely post. Only if you don't mind, of course?
Thank you badge for your lovely response, it means a lot to me
and congratulations on 4 months, that's really amazing!
Thanks rainy and congrats on the house! Good luck with the whole moving process. I get super stressed every time I move even though I don't have that much stuff. But I find it also exciting, it's like starting a new chapter and I love renovating, furnishing and decorating places.
I'm sorry for the lack of structure and for not being able to fully express how much all of your posts meant to me (Steely, Phoenix, Badge, Rainy, Kimmy, Poppy, Dee, Abriella). I'm really bad with words when I'm emotional and it doesn't help to do it in English. If I could I would've written a beautiful poem to every single one of you, saying how touched I was by your words and how much they mean to me.
Phoenix, I still think your name is the best match. I read your story a while ago and was touched, shocked and impressed by it, how you managed to emerge from the ashes and built up a new life again where there was barely any life left. Your story is probably the best reminder that there's ALWAYS hope as long as we are alive. You must be amongst the strongest people of this lovely planet.
The who's and why's help me to detangel all this mess of mixed emotions and enable me to identify them to then hopefully be able to deal with them. I'm a pretty rational person and not very skilled on the whole emotions-topic so analysing is important.
Thank you for your empathy and support, I offer the same to you. Together we are stronger.
Back to your post, Steely. I love that vision you described, it formed into a little scene in my head where we're walking along a sunny path in the mountains, up again towards the light and the sun. It made me tear up too. Not because of sadness though but of the amount of compassion, love and understanding. I was so overwhelmed I just couldn't reply last night. I guess I'm just not used to receiving so much support and feeling welcome, safe and accepted.
Pheonix your second post added to that image in my head. I will try to remember it whenever I feel alone and hopeless. Wonderful words.
At first I thought sobriety made me voulnerable but I do no longer believe that, it makes us much stronger. Strong enough to be the best versions we can be. We no longer have to hide from our secrets and feelings. We finally become strong enough to face them and to deal with our past and then let go. Free ourselves from that extra baggage we've carried for way too long and walk into a brighter future.
I love your elephants too Steely, nothing wrong with a good bit of kitsch, especially when it has its very own, important meaning. I'd like to print them out and pin them on my wall as a reminder of all the things you said in your lovely post. Only if you don't mind, of course?
Thank you badge for your lovely response, it means a lot to me
and congratulations on 4 months, that's really amazing! Thanks rainy and congrats on the house! Good luck with the whole moving process. I get super stressed every time I move even though I don't have that much stuff. But I find it also exciting, it's like starting a new chapter and I love renovating, furnishing and decorating places.
I'm sorry for the lack of structure and for not being able to fully express how much all of your posts meant to me (Steely, Phoenix, Badge, Rainy, Kimmy, Poppy, Dee, Abriella). I'm really bad with words when I'm emotional and it doesn't help to do it in English. If I could I would've written a beautiful poem to every single one of you, saying how touched I was by your words and how much they mean to me.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Queensland
Posts: 568
Morning everyone 
Congrats badge and November on a whopping 4 months....16 weeks..... 120 days. How proud you must both feel right now. KUDOS!
Kevlar, WOW, thank you for sharing your painful past and having the courage to let it out and share with us Nobenders.
No matter what happens or has happened to us, we all deserve love and support. And this group is super loving and supportive.
Phoenix, I read your story of recovery yesterday while I was at art therapy, how much courage and strength you have within yourself is nothing short of amazing! Blew my mind (in a good way). And your handle is very apt.
I can't remember what others have posted recently sorry but congrats to all just for being you, have a flipping great Friday and I will check back in with you later. xoxo
Congrats badge and November on a whopping 4 months....16 weeks..... 120 days. How proud you must both feel right now. KUDOS!
Kevlar, WOW, thank you for sharing your painful past and having the courage to let it out and share with us Nobenders.
No matter what happens or has happened to us, we all deserve love and support. And this group is super loving and supportive.
Phoenix, I read your story of recovery yesterday while I was at art therapy, how much courage and strength you have within yourself is nothing short of amazing! Blew my mind (in a good way). And your handle is very apt.
I can't remember what others have posted recently sorry but congrats to all just for being you, have a flipping great Friday and I will check back in with you later. xoxo
Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: London, UK
Posts: 30
Thanks Poppy and Rainy (excellent news on your new house) and congrats Badger...congrats to us!! I was going to stop counting the days, but I think its good to acknowledge our achievements.
Thoughts are with you all.
Thoughts are with you all.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Queensland
Posts: 568
Hey November, I have an app that counts the days for me whether I log on or not. I find I am not checking it as often as I use to. But it is nice to see the days creeping upwards app is called Nomo, and I have another one called Quit That which can be used for anything really, not just booze and drugs.
Awesome on day 53 LLG, nearly hitting that 2 month mark. Woot woot. I found the first 2 months the toughest.
app is called Nomo, and I have another one called Quit That which can be used for anything really, not just booze and drugs.Awesome on day 53 LLG, nearly hitting that 2 month mark. Woot woot. I found the first 2 months the toughest.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Portsmouth UK
Posts: 97
Greetings Fellow Travellers. Checking in at 119 days (17 weeks) and still charging on.
Reading some of your posts, especially yours Steely and Kevlar made me ashamed of being a man. It never fails to sadden me when I read of the cruelties that people can perpetrate on each other. Don't let what happened to you drag you down or make you feel ashamed. You have done nothing wrong. It doesn't surprise me that you turned to drink for solace. So glad you are now rid of that poison and are getting on with real life.
Keep keeping the faith. With you all the way.........
Reading some of your posts, especially yours Steely and Kevlar made me ashamed of being a man. It never fails to sadden me when I read of the cruelties that people can perpetrate on each other. Don't let what happened to you drag you down or make you feel ashamed. You have done nothing wrong. It doesn't surprise me that you turned to drink for solace. So glad you are now rid of that poison and are getting on with real life.
Keep keeping the faith. With you all the way.........
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 523
When I came home from my BF this morning I saw that two pigeons had started to build their nest on my balcony. And trashed it completely. They even managed to smash one of my flower pots.
I scared them off multiple times but they kept coming back. The seventh time or so the female stayed in the nest and became really aggressive towards me, she picked my hand and tried to threaten me. When I finally managed to make her leave I saw that there was already an egg in the nest. I didn't know that happened so fast, they only started building their nest this morning. I moved the nest with the egg into one of the flower boxes that hang on the outside of my balcony rail but the silly birds didn't understand. They looked at it but kept coming back to where the old nest was.
I feel so bad about how this ended. They looked so shocked when they lost their egg. Poor stupid pigeons. It broke my heart a little bit. Putting myself first isn't easy.
Please never feel ashamed of being a man Solly! It's not "being a man" that makes those people do such horrible things.
Now it's mega late and I'm beyond exhausted. After the pigeon disaster I hosted a dinner for two of my best friends from school. Found out they both don't drink, voluntarily. Still weird to me. But it was nice.
Lots of love to all of you, I'm still overwhelmed by how wonderful you people are!
I scared them off multiple times but they kept coming back. The seventh time or so the female stayed in the nest and became really aggressive towards me, she picked my hand and tried to threaten me. When I finally managed to make her leave I saw that there was already an egg in the nest. I didn't know that happened so fast, they only started building their nest this morning. I moved the nest with the egg into one of the flower boxes that hang on the outside of my balcony rail but the silly birds didn't understand. They looked at it but kept coming back to where the old nest was.
I feel so bad about how this ended. They looked so shocked when they lost their egg. Poor stupid pigeons. It broke my heart a little bit. Putting myself first isn't easy.
Please never feel ashamed of being a man Solly! It's not "being a man" that makes those people do such horrible things.
Now it's mega late and I'm beyond exhausted. After the pigeon disaster I hosted a dinner for two of my best friends from school. Found out they both don't drink, voluntarily. Still weird to me. But it was nice.
Lots of love to all of you, I'm still overwhelmed by how wonderful you people are!
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Anywhere USA
Posts: 2,099
Happy Saint Patricks day all
Hope you all are sitting down and ready for a story of the greatest, funnest, most inspirational grandfather that walked the planet (if any of you disagree, well come find me, we will discuss
), I bring this up now. as he died 18 years ago today. I morn his death, but I absolutely celebrate his life, it is one that I wish I had the guts to live. Are you familiar with the Mr. Clean commercials? He looked exactly like him, tall and bald.
I spent so much of my youth with him and Gramee, Easter was always entertaining, ( for him anyway) we would dye the eggs and he would hide them for me, and I would bring them to him and when I was looking for others he would hide the ones I brought to him again, so it was a bottomless egg basket. Kept me looking for hours,,, I never caught on. Spent most of my summers camping and traveling with them, so many memories, the best. He taught my how to row a boat, one time we found a net filled with a 6 pack of beer, with a big wink he brought the net into the boat and told me that we wouldn't tell Gramee about the beer, just the net,,, LOL. After we lost Gramee, my Mother got a frantic phone call from a cruise ship, off the coast of Mazatlan Mexico, apparently Gramp was no longer on the ship, he had taken a cruise with his Senior Group and had gotten bored and at one of the stops, jumped ship and went to Reno Nevada. He lived in a small town and it was his habit to walk to town every morning and get the paper and hear any new gossip going around, well when he was in his early 90's ( he lived till he was 97) Mother got another phone call, this time from the local Police. He was caught shoplifting, and he had been doing this for a long time apparently. The store owners didn't know what to do, you cant arrest a 90 + year old man can you? He would steal anything, peanut butter, meat, cookies, just walk down an aisle and put it in his pocket. You know why? He just wanted to see how long it would take them to catch him, he was bored again,,
. He stole almost 800.00 worth of stuff, he was SO mad that Mother made him write a check to the store owners. He wanted to spend some time in jail just to see what that was all about. I have so many other stories I could tell, and I am smiling just thinking of them.
Anyway, every St. Patricks day I celebrate his life and the joy he brought me. My hope to all of you is that you have a "Gramp" in your life, it is truly a blessing to have!!
Badge
Hope you all are sitting down and ready for a story of the greatest, funnest, most inspirational grandfather that walked the planet (if any of you disagree, well come find me, we will discuss
), I bring this up now. as he died 18 years ago today. I morn his death, but I absolutely celebrate his life, it is one that I wish I had the guts to live. Are you familiar with the Mr. Clean commercials? He looked exactly like him, tall and bald.I spent so much of my youth with him and Gramee, Easter was always entertaining, ( for him anyway) we would dye the eggs and he would hide them for me, and I would bring them to him and when I was looking for others he would hide the ones I brought to him again, so it was a bottomless egg basket. Kept me looking for hours,,, I never caught on. Spent most of my summers camping and traveling with them, so many memories, the best. He taught my how to row a boat, one time we found a net filled with a 6 pack of beer, with a big wink he brought the net into the boat and told me that we wouldn't tell Gramee about the beer, just the net,,, LOL. After we lost Gramee, my Mother got a frantic phone call from a cruise ship, off the coast of Mazatlan Mexico, apparently Gramp was no longer on the ship, he had taken a cruise with his Senior Group and had gotten bored and at one of the stops, jumped ship and went to Reno Nevada. He lived in a small town and it was his habit to walk to town every morning and get the paper and hear any new gossip going around, well when he was in his early 90's ( he lived till he was 97) Mother got another phone call, this time from the local Police. He was caught shoplifting, and he had been doing this for a long time apparently. The store owners didn't know what to do, you cant arrest a 90 + year old man can you? He would steal anything, peanut butter, meat, cookies, just walk down an aisle and put it in his pocket. You know why? He just wanted to see how long it would take them to catch him, he was bored again,,
. He stole almost 800.00 worth of stuff, he was SO mad that Mother made him write a check to the store owners. He wanted to spend some time in jail just to see what that was all about. I have so many other stories I could tell, and I am smiling just thinking of them.Anyway, every St. Patricks day I celebrate his life and the joy he brought me. My hope to all of you is that you have a "Gramp" in your life, it is truly a blessing to have!!
Badge
Member
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Europe
Posts: 523
Badge, your grandpa reminds me much of the main character from "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climed Out the Window and Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson, have you read it? 
Sounds like he was good fun. I like that you chose to celebrate his life on that day, it's such a positive approach and I'm sure he would've liked that a lot!
Now I'm gonna do some reading about st Patrick's day. It's not a thing here so I don't really know anything about the historical background or any traditions involved.
Have a great Friday everyone and an even better weekend! Anyone having any fun plans?
Sounds like he was good fun. I like that you chose to celebrate his life on that day, it's such a positive approach and I'm sure he would've liked that a lot!
Now I'm gonna do some reading about st Patrick's day. It's not a thing here so I don't really know anything about the historical background or any traditions involved.
Have a great Friday everyone and an even better weekend! Anyone having any fun plans?
Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Oregon
Posts: 275
Badge, those are great stories of your "Gramp". We all need someone like that in life! Makes me wish I could have met him.
Hope everyone has something good planned for the weekend. I'm going to a high school play (not sure about fun...but we're supporting the local high school arts!).
Hope everyone has something good planned for the weekend. I'm going to a high school play (not sure about fun...but we're supporting the local high school arts!).
Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: NSW - Australia
Posts: 14,594
Had to just jump in to say that I am alive and well. I haven't read everyone's posts yet, wanted to say hi.
Seems I ran to ground when we began talking kevlarsjal. Got overcome.
The idea that it helps to express this stuff to another really IS important, and I feel like I've told the entire world yay, and you can't do better than that. There is nothing left to hide. Never was. What a set up
Am very tired so will close with the universal truth that the Nobenders really are the best.
Congrats on house rainy.
Seems I ran to ground when we began talking kevlarsjal. Got overcome.
The idea that it helps to express this stuff to another really IS important, and I feel like I've told the entire world yay, and you can't do better than that. There is nothing left to hide. Never was. What a set up
Am very tired so will close with the universal truth that the Nobenders really are the best.
Congrats on house rainy.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
