21 Years Ago Today I Quit Drinking....

I remember going to an AA meeting during the first year of quitting drinking. A woman was speaking and she said she'd been sober for 7 years and I thought to myself "wow, someday I will be saying that." Now it's been 21 years.

The morning 21 years ago was a morning I'll never forget. Being so hung-over yet still being about to think about my life, the direction I wanted it to go in and how the 12 years of drinking---that life---was done. No regrets, no missing the alcohol. I knew I was going to start living a productive life now.

I think of how many people think that giving up alcohol will be too difficult because they'll be lonely, they won't have anything to fall back on, they're used to the life they have with the alcohol---but I had those thoughts maybe for....1 second? Then I saw what my life could and would be without alcohol to fall back on almost every day.

I saw this was the only life I could have. I knew I couldn't handle alcohol---it was so obvious---and it was OK. It was really OK that I wasn't going to have it in my life anymore. I was actually looking forward to it.

Life does have its ups and downs but I'm glad I quit and I never think about drinking anymore.