Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
Stay Safe & Take Care!
Thank you.
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
Stay Safe & Take Care!
Thank you.
Chapter 61
"It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." - Andrew J. Holmes
*****
I actually feel less isolated upon reading this Quote by Andrew J. Holmes. We're all in the same boat, so it reminds me of the importance of connecting with others on our various journeys. It returns me to humility, a place of comfortable vulnerability and realistic self-worth. I could go on and on but that would contradict my humble intent (pause).
Join me in being trifling exceptions.
Move forward.
"Me becomes We."
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Andrew J. Holmes (pictured) opens Chapter 61 [Depression And Anxiety (Dissolve)]of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein
*****
A KISS GOOD-BYE:
This Einstein quote is a personal favorite. In an attempt to seek immediate solutions, there is a tendency by many to settle for any Over-Simplification that simply sounds good. "Don't Drink & Go to Meetings" may sound like an effective Prescription, but it doesn't invite depth and further exploration and questioning. To me, Addiction is Irreducibly Complex and every book I read, every person I meet. both broaden and deepen my understanding, lending nuance and returning gratitude.
A simple understanding may sometimes only be arrived at down a complex road with many twists and turns. Epiphanies may appear simple and instantaneous, but are often preceded by much experience and forethought.
The Simple is Elegant when it has been stripped of the unnecessary and it is allowed to display its true depth.
For me, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) is often a Kiss Goodbye.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Albert Einstein (pictured) closes Chapter 61 [Depression And Anxiety (Dissolve)]of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 62 A Pack Of Loners, Alone
"They say that God is everywhere, and yet we always think of Him as somewhat of a recluse.": - Emily Dickenson
*****
WE ARE ZEBRAS OF EVERY STRIPE:
Seekers most seek Solitude and it is in this Quiet Place where thoughts of God or any other Unified Theory take hold before returning to the Greater Human Field found outwardly. We cannot stay long in this Quiet Place or we would die of hunger and thirst. Most Seekers don't want to stay there anyway. It is in this Quiet Place where some Unquantifiable Battery is recharged before returning to Human Activities.
At times I, too, have been a momentary recluse seeking a quiet place to find solace and to heal.
The Emily Dickenson quote (pictured) is emboldened by another of her verses:
"Some keep the Sabbath going to Church-
I keep it, staying at Home-
With a Bobolink for a Chorister-
And an Orchard, for a Dome-"
Her verse concludes with
"So instead of getting to Heaven, at last-
I'm going, all along."
Kudos to all the Seekers out there. We are Zebras of Every Stripe.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Emily Dickenson (pictured) opens Chapter 62 (A Pack of Loners, Alone) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't we?" - Rose Kennedy
*****
BE-CAW-CAW-CAUSE WE CAN!
Of course, Rose Kennedy's Quote pictured here is not to be taken literally.
What? When it stops raining, am I to go out into the streets and belt out a Song from "West Side Story" or "A Star is Born"?
Shall I jump out the window and flap my wings because that's what birds do?
Maybe she does mean it literally (except for the jumping out the window part)!
Birds don't beat dead horses (although they may peck at them), so I'll lay off a bit here.
If the last few sentences drew a basket of chirps or even the smallest of smiles, perhaps I really do understand this Quote?
Why? Be-caw-caw-cause I can!
Do like me. Sing off-key, but sing...
Any Way, Anyway.
Way.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Rose Kennedy (pictured) closes Chapter 62 (A Pack of Loners, Alone) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 63 Inject Me Slowly, Truth
"Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
*****
OH, HOW I WAS SUCH A WIND-UP TOY! The Endless, Indistinguishable Repetitions of the Same Deadly Daily Cycles: Drinking Beyond Obliteration, Past the Point of Remembrance and Recognition.
Yes, Oh Yes, Addiction is Mechanical!
ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS REMOVED. like the Spirit of the Devil being removed from the young child in THE EXORCIST, over time I became Free of my Bondage by Alcohol. I would have settled for this mere Removal of the Obsession. That would have been enough. But far more than I could Imagine would come my way in Recovery.
I have come to Measure my Time Differently Today. Life's Fragilities have become a source of Gratitude for me. Such is the passage of Time no longer measured by Pints, Quarts and Irreplaceable Losses. Memories, Hopes, Dreams, this Very Moment itself Intact, Living in Recovery,
"Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical." Kudos across these many Decades, Mr. Emerson. I strive to live your message in thought and action. My Immeasurable Thanks to You.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson (pictured) closes Chapter 63 (Inject Me Slowly, Truth) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 64 My Extreme Flowchart
"All human evil comes from a single cause, man's inability to sit still in a room." - Blaise Pascal
*****
This little Blaise Pascal NUGGET is Pure GOLD! Its sheer multiplicity of possible meanings will likely make most heads nod in agreement until arguments about its depths and varieties of meanings and interpretations soon become a source of division.
Contemplation brings me back to ground zero.
We wanted a quick fix only to learn that our impatience failed us and a quick fix only disappointed us. Illusions may simply fall away when we seek a quiet corner. When we let it, a few moments of tranquil reflection will return us to the intersection of Solitude and Belonging.
The ability to sit still in a room is good and it can be learned. The trick, for me, is to return there periodically. It is in this peaceful place that the rhythms of living may be restored to healthier proportions.
I wish to live simply - and mostly do - when I cultivate the habit of routinely sitting still in a room so I may enjoy the view inside my head and outside in the world unobstructed. I do not wish to stay there indefinitely, but this is still a dwelling place where I may find balance and joy.
Recovery from Addiction has become my home and life is good.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Blaise Pascal (pictured) closes Chapter 64 (My Extreme Flowchart) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!
Chapter 65 Phantom Toes Wiggling
"Success is a lousy Teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." - Bill Gates
*****
FAILURE felt like I CAN'T WIN when I repeatedly RELAPSED.
Addiction is Seductive & Destructive. Even knowing that my brain seemed to crave more alcohol than any body could handle and still survive didn't seem to change my drinking reflex. Knowledge is Power, but it seemed Recovery and Alcoholism were Games of Whack-a-Mole and I was losing both badly. Relapse was to be a Lousy Trial & Error Teacher. I would Crawl, attempt to Walk and Fall countless times before Learning to Stand Sober & Strong.
Being a Victim of Addiction & Living Responsibly in Recovery were Worlds Apart for me. The Chasm between them took 8 long years to bridge before now living just short of 18 years of Continuous Sobriety.
Thank you, Bill Gates, for reminding me that a Drink is Always within Arm's Reach.
FAILURE to stay Sober became part of Learning HOW TO remain Sober.
It's Crazy. I'm Crazy. There you go.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Bill Gates (pictured) opens Chapter 65 (Phantom Toes Wiggling) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Talk doesn't cook rice." - Chinese Proverb
*****
PRAY WITH YOUR FEET is about the only four (4) word QUIP I can COOK UP in Quick Response to this Proverb. OKAY, there is INSTANT RICE, but even that requires you to Get Off Your DUFF & DO SOMETHING.
"Action! Action!! WE WANT ACTION!!!" is a Cheerleader Chant I heard many times over watching my college football team on the field. The Best Part of Recovery Groups (to me) is to continue to MOTIVATE Change.
RECOVERY is EARNED. Three (3) Words (Guess I'll Quit While I'm Ahead)!
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Chinese Proverb (pictured) closes Chapter 65 (Phantom Toes Wiggling) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 66 Insanity Cubed
"The human heart in its perversity finds it hard to escape hatred and revenge." - Moses Luzzatto
*****
"TEACH THEM TO HATE BEFORE THEY TURN 8" is my Perverse Misquote from South Pacific. Hatred and Revenge are likely learned responses which in a Civilized Society may be Unlearned and be replaced by Love & Forgiveness.
IN THE MEANTIME, I'm working on my own little Corner of the Universe. Addiction is Insane and Inhuman. In Recovery, one Hopes some Sanity will be Restored and a Human Heart Repurposed.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Moses Luzzatto (pictured) opens Chapter 66 (Insanity Cubed) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein
*****
I truly like this Quote, but I have my apprehensions, as if "Something is rotten in the State of Denmark."
Thoughts and feelings are a curious mix for me. Believe as you wish, but I for one, tend to stick with what will be upheld by a Court of Law or in the Halls of Science. I'm not sure exactly what Einstein may have meant by this famous statement, but for me, Science and religion are not some kind of Yin & Yang of Perfection, mutually exclusive yet inseparable.
I'd put it more like Facts without Feelings are Sterile and Feelings without Facts are Delusional. Even that's saying too much and a bit out of kilter. Balance. A life in balance is what I'm driving at.
Still, this quote makes me feel good and I have to laugh at it, not derisively, rather... joyously, laughing at myself and human folly.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Albert Einstein (pictured) closes Chapter 66 (Insanity Cubed) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 67 Monkey Frocks
"Alcoholism isn't a spectator sport. EVENTUALLY the whole family gets to play." - Joyce Rebeta-Burditt
*****
A BUTTERFLY'S WINGS ARE BROKEN and the Catastrophe Spreads Outward. This BUTTERFLY EFFECT Somehow Becomes Up-Close and Personal... EVENTUALLY.
My first visit to an AL-ANON Meeting showed me that I had usually been too anesthetized by alcohol to be aware of the pain I exacted upon others. Families suffer, too, and in many ways more that the addict. After all, they're not taking drugs to relieve their pain. The "whole family gets to play" and eventually will need help too. Soon, there will be no Spectators, only a Tragic, Destructive Spectacle that fans out far and wide.
The Butterflies are Dying.
This is Global.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt (pictured) opens Chapter 67 (Monkey Frocks) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." - Maya Angelou
*****
THIS IS NOT A COP OUT. A 30-year Drinking Career obliterated the life I had or could have had. My Autographical Fiction contains all those gory details. Suffice it to say that Recovery has brought me a whole new life, strong, grateful, satisfying.
I might have been considered more successful if my life had turned out some other way, but now success has been redefined for me and it is fine and good. The River of Time is Slow and Deep and I am Nourished.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Maya Angelou (pictured) closes Chapter 67 (Monkey Frocks) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
Chapter 68 Epiphany-Deprived
"When we're connected to others, we become better people." - Randy Pausch
*****
ADDICTION IS THE DISEASE OF SEPARATION.
The Drug is Part of Everything you do Until it Becomes THE ONLY THING YOU DO. Recovery is the Process of Separating from the Addiction and Reconnecting with Yourself and the World.
SHARED COURAGE.
HUMAN.
KIND
CONNECTED.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Randy Pausch (pictured) opens Chapter 68 (Epiphany-Deprived) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!)
"Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle." - Helen Keller
*****
RED WAGON! RED WAGON! Someone pulled me along until I was old enough for a Tricycle, then a Bicycle (with training wheels). I eventually graduated to a barrel on its side and a Unicycle.
NO MATTER THE MODE, NO MATTER THE LOAD, to this day, I lose my balance, still, at times.
My INTOLERANCE of those INTOLERANT of OTHERS has been more difficult than all of the above. It's My OXYGEN MASK, I have to remind myself, It's my Serenity, I mutter. Breathe, Jim. JUST BREATHE. Meanwhile, pedal away like a son-of-a-bitch. And breathe.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Helen Keller (pictured) closes Chapter 68 (Epiphany-Deprived) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!
Chapter 69 My Last Relapse
"Contentment makes poor men rich. Discontent makes rich men poor." - Benjamin Franklin
*****
Seen through a Sober Lens: "Contentment makes poor men RICH. Discontent makes rich men POOR."
RICH = Living in Recovery
POOR = Living in Addiction
It is no coincidence that THIS Quote ends THIS Chapter of All Drinking Aside. I was Broke and Teetering between Content & Discontent when "My Last Relapse" occurred. My Recurrent Relapse & Recovery Period lasted 8 Years. Understand that I never was and still am not Rich in any conventional sense, so "Contentment makes poor men rich" is the only part of this Quote that fits me now, despite the 30+ years of Discontent I experienced in my Addiction.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Benjamin Franklin (pictured) closes Chapter 69 (My Last Relapse) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!
Chapter 70 This Is Page One
"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." - Lily Tomlin
*****
ADDICTED TO CHAOS is not my QUICK RESPONSE to this Quote by Lily Tomlin. It is my measured response after quiet deliberation. When I hear someone say that they are "Addicted to Chaos," with near certainty, I can predict that they are likely in Early Recovery. Chaos is the Consequence of Addiction and it becomes what one is accustomed to. The infinite richness of a Sober Life may have as many and more ingredients than the Drinking & Drugging Life, but it is Rich & Smooth. Even in moments of Chaos in Recovery, the Chaos is a Challenge OUT THERE, met with inner calm and resolve INSIDE me.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Lily Tomlin (pictured) closes Chapter 70 (This Is Page One) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon pages while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both are Available!
Chapter 51 One Trick Pony, Dismount
"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." - Seneca (often wrongly attributed to Oprah Winfrey)
*****
Alcohol did not PREPARE me for CATASTROPHE, but it certainly took me there. If I were ever to recover, I would have to accept responsibility for my actions. Sobriety offered the opportunity to construct & reconstruct a fruitful & satisfying new life. Recovery is Possible, Doable, Irreplaceable.
There is a book on Backgammon titled "Luck is for Losers." The meaning (implied) is that study and practice are necessary to become a Master of Backgammon. DITTO expressions about Recovery, such as "Work it, You're Worth it."
DON'T PRESS YOUR LUCK! ["Work it, You're Worth it."]
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Senaca opens Chapter 51 (One Trick Pony, Dismount) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS!
"To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves." - Will Durant
*****
Gossip and Complaining are Great Ways to Kill Time (Alcoholism and Addiction might be other Great Ways, too). One might infer that from my High Horse, I am suggesting that my luxuriating in Gossip and Complaining are Non-Events. Not so, Horatio. They have their place in the Social Fabric and I am not Guilt-Free, but Recovery has taught me to turn down the volume on those affairs and concentrate on my inner workings a Tad More. Progress not Perfection (steer me in the right direction, done with kind intention).
Self-deprecating humor has always been my tool. "Ego is not my Amigo" for it is me who is the fool.
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Will Durant closes Chapter 51 (One Trick Pony, Dismount) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS!
Chapter 52 Simon Says Stay Sober
"Learn to say no. It will be of more use to you than to be able to read Latin." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
*****
This is NOT the NO of "JUST SAY NO" to drugs (a failed policy based on unrealistic expectations of America's Youth and the Crime and Punish mindset that accompanied it). This is NOT the NO of Parents SPOUTING, "Do as I Say, Not as I Do."
This is the NO that follows Education and Rehabilitation. This is the NO of "I'm in Recovery and I do not need a drink or drug." This is the NO of "nothing matters more than that we remain sober because when we remain sober everything matters more."
This is the NO that means "YES!" to all things substantive. This is the NO of a meaningful life. This is the NO that becomes an Affirmation of Self and of Others.
"KNOW NO!" - NOT mine, but I embrace it. Ig-Pay Atin-Lay? no no no no no.
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Charles Haddon Spurgeon opens Chapter 52 (Simon Says Stay Sober) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both!)
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell
*****
How right you are, Bertrand!
Sad, but true. Too many Know-it-Alls with Deaf Ears. No wonder that they feel they have to shout!
My doubts are many, large and small, but I do know this one thing for sure: I will not drink or drug today. On most all else, the votes are still being tabulated in my empty head (empty of alcohol and drugs that is).
Un-Doubt-ed-ly, I am Betwixt and Between on Most All Other Matters because "Nothing matters more than that we remain sober because when we remain sober everything matters more."
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Bertrand Russell closes Chapter 52 (Simon Says Stay Sober) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both!)
Chapter 53 Accomplice To Murder?
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence." - William Cowper
*****
This William Cowper Quote is a good one to add to your Utility Belt. At first, it was not fully resonant to me, but it did lead me near neighborhoods of TRUTH. In the meantime, here's how it sidetracked me:
The ABSENCE of ABSTINENCE in the Bar Rooms of my 30-year Drinking Career fed my invulnerability to any suggestions of even cutting down on my consumption of alcohol (until Alcohol had utterly consumed me). Before that, if Abstinence existed at all, my only exposures to it were from Religious Fringe Groups in my youth knocking at my door as Darkly Dressed Bible-Toting Willy Loman-Like Characters.
They were Lead-by-Example FAILS ("I will NEVER be like them!" I told myself, not knowing I would some day become as bad or worse than them, but in different ways that would horrify anyone). The Rooms of Recovery remained distant and unknown to me for decades to come.
With 17 Years of Continuous Sobriety under my belt now, I need no further PROOF (100 Proof or otherwise). All kidding aside, it remains a heady quote.
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by William Cowper opens Chapter 53 (Accomplice to Murder?) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both!)
"I am an agnostic: I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of." - Clarence Darrow
*****
Monotheism emerged in Egypt a thousand years before the birth of Christ. Polytheism before that. One God, Many Gods, No Gods.
When asked if he believed in God, W.C, Fields reportedly replied "No" and when pressed as to what he did believe, he Shot Back, "I BELIEVE I'LL HAVE ANOTHER COCKTAIL." You may wish that there is PROOF of that, but none exists.
W.C. died in 1946. I was born in 1950. Perhaps I've been Reincarnated. 100 PROOF.
*****
For an added treat, check out my Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Clarence Darrow closes Chapter 53 (Accomplice to Murder?) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions of Both!)
Chapter 54 The God of Frozen Yogurt
"Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone." - Gertrude Stein
*****
"Actions Speak Louder than Words."
Of course, that's true, but sometimes words ARE action, may inspire action. And when we are motivated by other people's thoughts and actions, we, in turn are inspired to give thanks and pass it on, a daisy chain in motion.
The Butterfly Effect: a small change, a word of thanks, reverberates and, at least in theory, oceans away, the effects multiply. A chain-reaction has to start somewhere. Perhaps here. Perhaps now. Old Gert & I join hands across Generations. She, an American in Paris between WWI and WWII wrote the words pictured here. I pass them on to you.
Giving Thanks is a Far Cry from Saying Nothing. "Silent gratitude isn't very much use to anyone." And so, one hopes, the Chain-Reaction she started moves forward.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Gertrude Stein opens Chapter 54 (The God of Frozen Yogurt") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
"Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out." - Edwin Markham
*****
"Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out."
I may emerge from defeat stronger on the other side, if it doesn't permanently disfigure me or outright kill me first. I will admit this: When Markham's statement is True (which is not always), it is Pure Poetry. I hear Maya Angelou's Caged Bird Sing and fly when its door opens, GLORIOUS, TRIUMPHANT.
When DEFEAT becomes VICTORY 2.0, it is so much sweeter. There may be one slight advantage some of us in recovery have over those who have never been addicted: We have felt the Prison of Addiction, so Our Freedom has the wings of a bird with more ruffled and varied feathers.
Clean & Sober is kept close to my chest, my senses still intact.
Strive on, my Sober Friends, and fly.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Edwin Markham closes Chapter 54 (The God of Frozen Yogurt") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
Chapter 55 Down for the Count
"Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right." - Laurens Van der Post
*****
You may believe the World is flat, but that doesn't make it so. Men landed on the Moon. It is not made of Cheese. On and on. Don't frighten me. Agree to disagree, but the Halls of Science and the Courts of Law will be my Guide and seem to be on my side.
I concede that I have been wrong many times over and I will be wrong again. Thinking of myself as a High-Achieving Alcoholic failed me in the end. I was not that, never was, never could be. Agree to disagree or move along. I have no time for more than that.
Beyond the Moon's Expectations, my Clean & Sober World is not flat.
Surprise. I'm still alive, and that is that.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Laurens Van der Post opens Chapter 54 ("Down for the Count") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
"Peace of mind is that mental condition in which you have accepted the worst." - Lin Yutang
*****
I thought I was accepting the worst (at the height of my High-Functioning Alcoholic Period) when I imagined my death by alcohol: I would be a Modern-Day Anti-Hero of sorts, clutching my Dewar's on the Rocks as I died. Fate accepted. Unfortunately, years later, the reality was none so Heroic and the horror of the moment as I lay dying lacked peace of mind of any kind.
Accepting the worst of what has already happened is one thing, accepting the worst your imagination can conjure up about the future is quite another.
I did not have a drink today. And no, that is not the worst that could happen, but you could not have told me that those many years ago. A life without my drink was once the worst I could imagine.
Silly Boy.
That changed. I changed. A Clean and Sober life can be imagined and attained.
Accept that. Imagine that. Live that. Do that. Be that.
Peace of Mind is the Best and Recovery has brought me that.
Once unimaginable: A Sober Man.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Lin Yutang closes Chapter 55 ("Down for the Count") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
Chapter 56 Express Snail
"The ego could be defined simply in this way: a dysfunctional relationship with the present moment." - Eckhart Tolle
*****
Was it I (or Me or My or Who and How?) who always had the Need for MORE (&now&now&now&now)?
I was not Here & Now when the Drink was Where(?) & When(?). It no longer matters whether it was the drinking that made me dysfunctional or if drinking merely made me MORE Dysfunctional than that Time Before My First-Ever Drink.
We-in-Recovery, we know, at least, that the Best of Life is Minus the Drink or Drug and the Best of Life is in the Here & Now. I was not There when the Drink was WHERE & WHEN. I Rest my Case... Now I must rest to fully function when I awake again, a new HERE, a new NOW, Clean & Sober in this different, better world.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Eckhart Tolle opens Chapter 56 ("Express Snail") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
"Every wrong attempt discarded is a step forward." - Thomas Edison
*****
It is difficult to take so much as a step, much less a step forward, when addiction is at your throat and has taken hold of your brain. Eventually nothing much will remain of your old way your life and the unlimited possibilities of living free of addiction will become part of the new you in Recovery.
"If at first you don't succeed... " push forward anyway. Push forward anyway you can (Try). Shared Courage. Find it (Try). Strive on, Incessantly Strive (Try again).
"If at first you don't succeed... " a better life is on the road ahead. A future can and must be found (Find). There is no use in using alcohol or drugs. They will use you up (Find). Change is possible, doable (Find a way).
Life is precious, irreplaceable.
Step forward. Strive. Strive on. Strive again.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Thomas Edison closes Chapter 56 ("Express Snail") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
Chapter 57
{No pictures found to accompany quotes from this chapter.}
Chapter 58
"A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us." - Franz Kafka
For me, an alcoholic in long-term recovery, "the frozen sea inside us" is also the Frozen Sea Between Us. One could easily define alcoholism as the "Disease of Separation." Books are, indeed, only one of the tools in my Recovery Toolbox, but it is a powerful one. Reading helped me bridge the gaps between isolation and solitude and the gaping holes between separation and belonging.
Recovery brought me to the intersection of Solitude and Belonging and books helped melt my addiction-frozen heart. From feeling shunned, isolated and alone in my addiction, years later in recovery, I found myself living in a state of gratitude, inner-peace and solitude. I could not have known the goodness possible in a clean and sober life or I might have found it years sooner.
Addiction answered all questions and (at the same time) left me clueless as it slowly evaporated me. Going from shunned, isolated and alone in my addiction to my current state of gratitude for inner peace and a quiet solitude in recovery has been a long haul. I couldn't have known that all of a sober life's goodness awaited me. It would not have been possible without finding a place of belonging in recovery first.
We humans are pack animals, like wolves. "Separated from the pack, the chances of survival diminish. Alcoholism is this disease of separation. The alcoholic needs the alcohol to the exclusion of all else. Recovery is largely about rejoining the human race. Connection with self, reconnection with self. Connecting with others, reconnecting. Overcoming alcoholism, the Great Excluder. The irony and paradox of Happy Hour can silence" almost anyone who pauses for a moment to reflect.
The loneliness of an alcoholic death. That's what many of my recollections boil down to. Reciprocity is keeping me sober. Sharing with another alcoholic. It really is that simple. I used to drown the loneliness caused by alcohol with (what else?) more alcohol. Solitude seemed an impossibility when a bottle of booze sat next to me. Alcohol lorded over me and made solitude an impossibility. Loneliness, inescapable. Solitude, unattainable. Sobriety, unimaginable...
It has taken time to still my mind instead of passing out as I used to do. To glide seamlessly from waking consciousness into a blissful night's sleep, waking up refreshed, alert and drug-free. This did not happen overnight and thankfully, I have enjoyed this slow transition. Two months of Transcendental Meditation could not have done this for me. Impetuous youth and alcohol" were a near deadly mix. From barely surviving in addiction to a thriving and blissful recovery.
Two different worlds unimaginably connected.
Books were the axe transitioning me from the frozen sea within me to connections with the human race learned and sustained in my recovery.
Connections with the human race. Everyone has a place. Your table awaits you.
*****
Passages in quotes are excerpted from All Drinking Aside. For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Franz Kafka closes Chapter 58 ("Alcoholism Disconnects, Recovery Connects") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
Chapter 59 Double-Visionary
"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." - Eleanor Roosevelt
*****
YES, I have the right to drink, to choose, to live freely, but my obligation to myself is to acknowledge that it is too risky for me to drink. Too many relapses, too many cul-de-sacs, too many near-death experiences.
YES, I've heard the prison door of addiction is always open, but I know when I am behind those bars (or in a bar), my blinders go on and my brain wants more alcohol than my body can handle. My body shuts down as it has before and in the hospital I go, not knowing, usually, how I got there.
When asked, "Would you like a drink?" my response today is "NO. Thanks. Much obliged."
To me, "Drink Responsibly" means 0% Alcohol & 100% Free to be Responsible by being NOT Under the Influence.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Eleanor Roosevelt opens Chapter 59 ("Double-Visionary") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
"The secret of life is to appreciate the pleasure of being terribly, terribly deceived." - Oscar Wilde
*****
Only partly in jest, this dark quote by Oscar Wilde is meant to be discomforting, so I assume. The reader squirms in their chair wondering if it pertains to them. Easily and quickly cast off as merely clever or entertaining, it may be discarded without deep introspection. After all, they are only words meant to beguile them.
My biggest deception was continuing to use alcohol and drugs even after I figured out that using had become a necessity in order to prevent the pain of not using. The drugs deceive us, then we deceive ourselves and others within the tornado created in addiction's grasp. Where once there may have been some form of pleasure in using, drug use continues long after the pleasure has evaporated. "This must be pleasure, mustn't it?" we ask ourselves, knowing that it is no longer pleasurable, if indeed it ever truly was. Again, use to prevent the pain of not using. How very sad, but these are only words, after all.
The twisting and untwisting of Addiction have taken years of my life, both in the active using phase and long into my sustained Recovery. Gratitude is the appreciation of having found another way of living possible.
I am glad to have given this Oscar Wilde quote beyond a passing thought. His ability to be both clever and deep holds me in high regard for his talents.
Whew!
Pause. Reflect. Move on, Life is Good.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Oscar Wilde closes Chapter 59 ("Double-Visionary") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
Enjoy BOTH OF THESE BOOKS on ADDICTION & RECOVERY! (Print & Kindle Versions Available of Both!)
Chapter 60
"Possibilities and miracles are one and the same." - Anonymous
*****
Recovery is POSSIBLE, DOABLE, IRREPLACEABLE. Addiction, on the other hand, is a SAD DECEPTION. There is nothing Miraculous about Addiction. So when Recovery is found it would be understandable to attribute it to Divine Intervention.
Not much of a believer in miracles myself, I tend to attribute them to facts and forces as yet unexplained. The closest I can come to calling Recovery from Addiction a Miracle is this: A Broken Bone can ever only heal itself to its former state before the break occurs, but in Recovery, we may in the healing process arrive at a place far different than Addiction likely would have led us. We may achieve a level of healing which surpasses the mere reknitting of a broken bone. We may become whole on a level unachievable had we taken a different journey.
The work required to transition successfully from Addiction to Recovery is simply that: WORK.
Work on your Recovery and the "Miracle" of Recovery will manifest itself. Facts and forces as yet unexplained, mortared by epiphanies, if you will, but in the end, work, Work, WORK.
"Possibilities and miracles are one and the same," perhaps. Perhaps. PERHAPS.
Adaptation. Survival. Growth.
Growth is Possible.
*****
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
Find it on Amazon. Book it here: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
#alcoholism #addiction #recovery #books
All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Anonymous opens Chapter 60 ("An Unremembered Emptines") of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO
"Hatred is never anything but fear- if you feared no one, you would hate no one." - Hugh Downs
*****
Hugh Downs Quote here reflects maladaptive relationships (notice he says "no one," not "no thing") between people to me. I take it to mean that the more we know and come to better understand others, the more mutual connections we would form and the less likely we would be to hate them.
Fear of others may be the sensible, justifiable response to some unknown Other based on best guesses and previous experience, but I don't think that's what he's getting at.
If I may Quote and Misquote: Combine "Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You" (from "The King and I") with (here's the misquote from "South Pacific") "Teach Them to Hate Before They Turn Eight" (the lesson being DON'T DO THAT!).
What do you get when you combine my two whimsical, vastly over-generalized and spurious reactions to the Hugh Downs Quote? Basically, "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Sorry, I calls 'em like I sees 'em!
[Rebuttals Welcomed!]
******
For an added treat, check out my NEW Non-Fiction, BECOMING UNBROKEN: Reflections on Addiction and Recovery on Amazon here: https://lnkd.in/dkF767RT
In the meantime, Immerse yourself in my Descent into Addiction and eventual Recovery in my Autobiographical Fiction, ALL DRINKING ASIDE: The Destruction, Deconstruction & Reconstruction of an Alcoholic Animal
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All Drinking Aside bookends each of its 90 Chapters with Quotes by the Famous, Infamous & Anonymous.
This Quote by Hugh Downs (pictured) closes Chapter 60 (An Unremembered Emptiness) of All Drinking Aside.
Resolve to read it. Explore your own mind within its pages. Check out the 5 Star Reviews on the Amazon page while you're there: http://amzn.to/1bX6JyO