FreeOwl

Whenever I see or hear the phrase "on the wagon" I kind of cringe.

Something about that phrase just gets under my skin.

It sounds so negative. It evokes this picture in my mind of a miserable, rattletrap old wooden wagon, on which are burned out, bummed out, wearied travelers who've been relegated to this awfulness and despair.... condemned to ride this bumpy, uncomfortable, awful thing off into the dusty sunset clinging perilously in fear they may fall off.

Sobriety's not a wagon.

It's a glorious, sleek, joyful glider - bringing you to soaring new heights of beauty and wonder that you cannot even imagine until you summon the courage to slide into the pilot's chair and embrace the controls.....

Happy Wednesday.

Maudcat

In The Shining, in which the main character is a dry drunk who eventually goes back to drinking, Stephen King describes the wagon as an uncomfortable, bumpy ride with splinters.
I guess that as a visual person, I feel comfortable with analogies (metaphors?) like on the wagon, crazy train (I love that one. I visualize a train full of drunken monkeys and me), sober bus, dropping that box of rocks, etc.
but that's me. Peace, FreeOwl. I always enjoy your posts.

Fusion

I love this post, FreeOwl.

Before I 'used' drink I used to fly gliders as a hobby, and sail, and ride horses, and hill and mountain walk, and, and, and........until I stopped all hobbies, because alcohol reigned supreme - because it released more dopamine etc., and my stupid lower survival brain latched onto it. Consequently, after gliding, sailing, riding, walking.....I'd follow my brain's automatic request, and drink to celebrate a great flight, sail, ride.

Therefore, when I hit a stressful period in my life, I'd conditioned my lower brain to request alcohol, to make me feel better, happy: until I drank so much it didn't and my hobbies fell to the kerb and the only hobby I had was drinking myself towards death.

So yes, being a non- drinker is amazing, powerful, life-affirming; a beautiful, sleek, shiny white glider, soaring above the clouds, spiralling with buzzards adjacent; with planet earth, a patchwork of fields, hills and the glistening sea beyond. Full of expectation and possibilities. Not sitting 'on the wagon' which sounds like loss, boredom, white-knuckling and trudging.

Why not perceive not-drinking as being free, liberated, unshackled and flying instead!

MesaMan

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Some Phrase Etymology. As noted in the fine Posts above, the term connotes what we envision.

- The Phrase 'On The Wagon' -
.

Horn95

Interesting that you describe the "wagon" as you do. I was in London about 10 years ago and learned the origin of the metaphor.

Back when they had public executions in London, the condemned would be brought from the prison to the gallows, in Hyde Park, in a wagon. The ride was about a mile or so. And the executioner would ride in the wagon with the prisoners.

Because of the stress the executioner was under (imagine that), along the way to the execution he would have the wagon stop at a pub along the way for a drink. Hence, he would "get off the wagon", for a drink.

So that is where "on the wagon" and "off the wagon" comes from. So, any way you look at it, it is not a good metaphor.

Fusion

Wow, MesaMan, I'd no idea of the phrase's historic roots. So 'on the wagon' wasn't being a condemned gallows prisoner, as I previously thought - but instead, a person drinking water from the water wagon, who'd taken 'the pledge' to never drink alcohol.

Yes, when I made my 'Big Plan' to 'Never drink again, and never change my mind' I suppose I am now drinking from the water wagon, in that I won't imbibe anything that contains alcohol. That link was enlightening, MesaMan!

tomsteve

I can relate to ya, freeowl.
personally I don't like reading or hearing,"just get back on the wagon."
seems to me if the wagon took a person on a route that led em to drink again, they prolly shouldn't get back on that wagon.

MLD51

I've never used that term to describe what I'm doing here in sobriety. Because if you can get on the wagon, you can get off. A wagon doesn't seem like a permanent or secure place to be. I want my sobriety to be permanent. I like the glider imagery better!

thomas11

Hmmm, good analogy FO. I'm early in my sobriety (17 months) but I would compare it to a sports car. My brain and life is moving so much faster than it was when a drunk. BUT, and there is a but....I would prefer my sobriety to evolve into a diesel engine. Strong, steady and goes forever. Not the ups and downs I occasionally feel.

FBL

Used to use the term all the time. I hopped on and off many times over the 29 years I was drinking. Nowadays, I don't even think about wagons

SnazzyDresser

The wagon metaphor always reminds me of Seinfeld, the greatest sitcom evaaa! Jerry and George can't remember if quitting is on the wagon or off the wagon.

BrendaChenowyth

I use that expression because it's a commonly used expression and I truly have never stopped long enough to examine it. lol

Frank14

Enjoy! From Seinfeld:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wx77L9_D84