Life by the numbers
 

I see every now and then, and most recently, a post about statistics. Sober statistics.

People want the reassurance that this is in their favor. That it won't be them but the other guy adding up to what no one wants to admit.

So, while certainly not a numbers guy, I decided to look at my life by the numbers.

Here's what I found out about myself.

There are 7,059,553,012 people in this tiny world.

In the US there are 314,967,442 of which I am only 1. Though the voices in my head would lead me to believe otherwise.

A simple google search of what number am I on earth tells me that I am the 3,401,031,718th person alive and get this.....

The 77,354,880,524th person alive since history began. Boy if I had a nickel for every person ever born....

Now of the US population, one estimate says 51.9% of us drink. A mere 130 or so million.

Again of which I WAS only 1 of.

To whittle things down to a more real perspective I am one of just over an estimated 11 million gay folk in the US. A number of little relevance but a number I was curious about.

Here's where the numbers start to crunch.

How many people do I know that drink. All of them but one. Really .... just one.

Alcoholics, like me, surround ourselves with drinkers. It made me feel normal.

How many people do I know that have stopped drinking and stayed stopped? Not nearly as many as drink. Other than SR and AA I don't know anyone.

Should that matter? Nope. Not at all.

I will be counted and used to compile many lists.

I can be dehumanized in equations that result in less than factual results.

Sober people give me a 50 / 50 shot at staying sober. Maybe even less.

I am not a number. I am not a statistic. I am ken. An alcoholic trying very very hard to make it and I believe I will. 110% everyday. I don't need the reassurance of a statistic. I need the reassurance of others like me.

That's all I need.



Disclaimer
**** all statistics obtained from the Internet. And we all know we can always believe what ever we find on the Internet. So this must be true. :)

Ken...I believe I will make it. If I can you can.. There....reassurance from another like you!

Jim

Thank Jim! I needed that!

I just had to smile today. And this made me smile a bit! Hope you did too.

IMO you will remain sober because you take personal responsibility for your sobriety. I know tons of people with 20+ yrs of sobriety and I am sure they are in the minority but it can be done. They are living proof. All I can say is I plan on being one of those people if I live long enough and I believe you wil to.

Ken, you sure you aren't a numbers guy? Lol here's two numbers you have to remember : "1"--- that's you and you are priority number one! Secondly 24--- as in try to stay sober for the next 24 hours. An be thankful for the last sober 24 hours. Best wishes

Awwww... Ken I have mad love for you :)

This is just a tonge in cheek look at statistics. They mean nothing.

:)

Seems to me one in a million chances crop up nine times out of ten , so you just keep on being you .
btw if you add heavy metal freak to your statistics, male , gay , white , north atlantic non drinker you end up with me and one other bloke ..

Annyhoo .. lets just set the amps to 11 and rock on ..

M

Yo, Ken.

I love the post, it was fun. I read stats like that and I don't want to fit into any of them. If this makes sense, I always cringe at the thought of being like everyone else even though I know, rationally, that Tyler Durden was right, and I am assuredly NOT a unique and beautiful snowflake.

If i do not change things -and this goes all of us unfortunate enough to be alcoholics - being a drinker makes me part of a larger crowd. I will one day become one of millions who have been destroyed by alcohol.

"Dehumanized" is a perfect word. We are all smushed down into categories and data and points of interest and statistical entries and cross-sections inside analytical matrices based on what we "like" on Facebook. Well, buddy, he only categories I feel comfortable in are "dad," "husband," and "sober..I dunno...dude."

And we can do that. We can all be sober. They can keep their categories. I don't want them.
Great post. Gives me something to think about today. Cheers, friend!

Gwh glad you liked the post.

M too funny....

Wow. Sure puts my selfish center back into focus. Thanks Ken.

10% are alcoholics out of the total population....

don't know how they came up with that statistic, though---that's what statisticians are for....

Hi, Ken, Glad to hear from you.

Great post) It reminded me of one of my favourite books of Ray Bradbury - "Dandelion Wine", where one of two brothers, Tom, always did some statistics. There's little extract: there's always something new in something old.

“I got a statistic for you right now. Grab your pencil, Doug. There are five billion trees
in the world. I looked it up. Under every tree is a shadow, right? So, then, what makes
night? I’ll tell you: shadows crawling out from under five billion trees! Think of it!
Shadows running around in the air, muddying the waters you might say. If only we could
figure a way to keep those dam five billion shadows under those trees, we could stay up
half the night, Doug, because there’d be no night! There you are; something old,
something new.”

“I’m alive.”
“Heck, that’s old!”
“Thinking about it, noticing it, is new. You do things and don’t watch. Then all of a
sudden you look and see what you’re doing and it’s the first time, really"

Stats are interesting to look at from my perspective as an recovered addict/alcho-nut. If I were working as an addiction researcher the stats would be far more significant in my work. But its good to know that I can control my relapse statistics by use of a daily wellness plan. I believe in research, development and implementation of a new healthy life alcohol free. The stats from that concern me.

MB... Love that!

It's all in the perspective I say!