31 months - nothing's free, everything's beautiful
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Big City
Posts: 3,895
31 months - nothing's free, everything's beautiful
Thought I would check in. Got a new phone and reinstalled my sober counter - I passed 31 months last week. I find myself returning to my sober date only when I have a conversation with my therapist or here and there when I pass by SR. I don't post at all like I used to. But I often check in and read about those of us struggling, overcoming and all the rest.
The longer I am sober the more my permanent sobriety becomes just a fact of my life. Sometimes I wish there was something I could do or take that would give me the "break from reality" that my wife and others are able to enjoy with a glass or so of wine (which is all she really needs - always astounds me). But the truth is that there isn't. And those feelings pass and I have my life to tend to.
Tending to my life is what I do now. I don't chase the bottom of bottles that I then have to shamefully hide. I don't chase the oblivion and avoidance alcohol provided. I have responsibilities and obligations on a Monday morning that are not colored and ruined by a vicious hangover. I have the task at hand. And I'm free.
There is essential, simple beauty in that freedom from the bottle. I do not want to take that beauty for granted. And so, by checking in here, I am not. I am a lucky one, like many of us. But I made my luck - I did and continue to do the work necessary to protect my self and my family from the brutal abasement of a drunk's life. That work provides for moments like now - I'm calm, I'm open, my day and my life is mine to tend to. And there's work to be done.
The longer I am sober the more my permanent sobriety becomes just a fact of my life. Sometimes I wish there was something I could do or take that would give me the "break from reality" that my wife and others are able to enjoy with a glass or so of wine (which is all she really needs - always astounds me). But the truth is that there isn't. And those feelings pass and I have my life to tend to.
Tending to my life is what I do now. I don't chase the bottom of bottles that I then have to shamefully hide. I don't chase the oblivion and avoidance alcohol provided. I have responsibilities and obligations on a Monday morning that are not colored and ruined by a vicious hangover. I have the task at hand. And I'm free.
There is essential, simple beauty in that freedom from the bottle. I do not want to take that beauty for granted. And so, by checking in here, I am not. I am a lucky one, like many of us. But I made my luck - I did and continue to do the work necessary to protect my self and my family from the brutal abasement of a drunk's life. That work provides for moments like now - I'm calm, I'm open, my day and my life is mine to tend to. And there's work to be done.
And thanks for the encouraging message. 
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,100
Great post! You hit on some really important points that shows the reality of sober life. At 10 months sober I have found the beauty in simply being free from the chains of alcohol addiction. Now I must never forget and so here I am today, also. Great stuff
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Join Date: Oct 2020
Posts: 112
Great post I especially like the part about making your own luck and still continuing to do the work even to this day. Sobriety takes work and it always will. That's fine -- I look at it like this anything that is a true accomplishment takes time and work to achieve. Sobriety is no different.
Congrats on your clean time lessgravity. Keep going and keep posting I always enjoy reading your posts.
Congrats on your clean time lessgravity. Keep going and keep posting I always enjoy reading your posts.
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Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 2,654
Originally Posted by lessgravity 
There is essential, simple beauty in that freedom from the bottle. I do not want to take that beauty for granted. And so, by checking in here, I am not. I am a lucky one, like many of us. But I made my luck - I did and continue to do the work necessary to protect my self and my family from the brutal abasement of a drunk's life. That work provides for moments like now - I'm calm, I'm open, my day and my life is mine to tend to. And there's work to be done.
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 2,580
Congrats, LG. I appreciate this post, like many others you have made. The idea of 'making one's luck' -- I love that. I think back to the day I quit ... I'm not sure how or why it happened, really. Nothing bad had happened that week. I just "somehow" woke up with some kind of intuition that said, "I gotta do this ... this road is turning very dark, but maybe there is something better if I go the other direction". And I made my luck by listening to that voice, and acting on it. I've always felt there was some kind of grace in that intuition coming to me ... but I had to do my part too. Onward!
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Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 108
Hey lg. Haven’t been on here in a long time. I think I’m a couple weeks ahead of you sobriety wise. Good to see you still on here. Congrats on 31 months. I pretty much concur with everything you said. As much as I hate to admit it, a break from reality would be nice from time to time. But we ****** that up. Lol. Keep up the good work man
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