My Worst Day In Sobriety Is Better Than My Best Day Drunk--Maybe...

   In the early nineties I did a tour of duty in the cult/fellowship known as Alcoholics Anonymous. I was recruited by an acquaintance from my past whom I'll call "Bob" for the sake of anonymity. Long story but after coming to the realization I wasn't the pathetic and wretched alcoholic they tried to convince me I was (just because you're on the garbage truck, doesn't mean you have to go all the way to the dump), AA and I parted ways. I no longer saw any of my AA friends and discovered that drinking folk don't want much to do with non-drinking folk and vice-versa-- I lost contact with Bob completely.

    Quite a few years had passed and I was out for a walk one afternoon when who did I bump into but Bob. We started chatting and he told me a bit of his story. In a nutshell he said, "I've been through two bankruptcies, a divorce and recently lost my job but at least I'm fifteen years sober." I remember thinking, "Hmm...I guess."  Bob is a helluva nice guy, great sense of humour, kind-hearted, friendly, charismatic but I couldn't help but compare our two situations. Since I had been "out" (AA term for anyone who was "in the program" and went back drinking) for the last twelve years or so and I had no divorce on my resume (probably because I never married), ran a moderately successful painting business, acquired a rental property, paid off a couple of vehicles and even managed to put a little money in the bank. Bob's is not indicative of everybody's story in AA and I'm not relating this for any other reason than to say it's a damn good thing I got out when I did or there's a chance I may have gotten really good and sober...

    Here's me looking nice and relaxed with my brother-in-law and niece in the "non-drinking days"...