WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BEING SOBER

            Several years ago, a close friend started sending me little tidbits on the subject, “What I like about being sober.”

            I collected these little somethings.  When I had a bunch of them, I asked my friend if she would mind if I put them in a column.  She said she wouldn’t mind at all. 

So, here is her list. If you are reading this at 6 p.m. tonight, she would like you to know that she is 18 years, 3 days, 5 hours and 34 minutes sober.

§  I like not having to worry about staggering or slurring my words.

§  I like the fact that I have saved approximately a bazillion dollars by not buying booze.

§  I like remembering where I put things. When I was drinking, I might finish writing a letter at night and not remember where I put it.  I learned that it would show up eventually – imagine my surprise when I would find it in the dryer, under the footstool, or in the refrigerator.

§  I like not having to lie about remembering things. I used to say, “Of course I remember talking about this last night,” when I was really saying to myself, “What in God’s name is she talking about?”

§  I like remembering the ends of movies—in my drinking days, I would always fall asleep or black out.

§  I like feeling virtuous when I go into restaurants and ordering water.

§  I like going to a wine function and hating the smell of the red wine.

§  I like the fact that I no longer walk in my sleep.  When I was drinking, I might wake up on the couch, on the floor in the kitchen, or in one of the kids’ beds.

§  I like waking up in the morning and feeling ready to go.  When I was drinking, my head was always slightly muzzy and it took me several hours to function at “full” capacity.

§  I like not having to worry about a policeman following me or pulling up behind me.

§  I like having an expanded group of friends.  When I was drinking, I gradually replaced my friends with only people who drank. After all, who wants to go for coffee when you can go for a beer? Now my circle of friends is much bigger and wider. Unfortunately, this goes the other way too, because now that I don’t drink anymore, my old drinking buddies think I’m not fun.

§  I like saying, “I’ll pay for the coffee,” rather than “I’ll buy this round!”

§  I like having fresh breath.

§  I like getting a restful sleep and having so much more energy during the day.

§  I like feeling clean and shiny after a shower. In the old days, if I drank too much the night before, I smelled like alcohol the next day and even a shower wouldn’t help.

§  I like not having to walk carefully in an attempt to fool people into thinking I was sober.

§  I like knowing there is no shame in being an alcoholic. If a diabetic craves a candy bar, gives in, and then slips into insulin shock, people say, “Bad choice.” If an alcoholic craves a drink and gives in, people say “Bad person.” It’s not as easy as “put down the bottle” – if it had been that easy, I would have done it many years before I did.

§  I like being sympathetic toward other drunks, supporting other alcoholics I met in treatment, and helping other suffering families.

§  I like the fact that I look healthier and even now, after 18 years, I have fewer gray hairs and wrinkles than I did when I was drinking.

§  I like being able to see my limitations more clearly.

§  I like my newfound serenity – serenity reigns in my life 98% of the time.

§  I like accepting the things I cannot change—which for me translates into, “It’s water under the bridge, I can’t change a thing, so let it rest.” 

§  I like the fact that when I pray, I say “thank you” a whole lot more than I say “please.”

§  I like feeling proud of myself.  I know how hard it is to beat this disease—and I BEAT IT!  I have confidence if I can beat something that huge, who needs to be scared of the dentist?

§  I love my life, and I love being sober in that life.  The road to serenity – the road to recovery – was gradual but it was the most rewarding journey of my life.  That, to me, is a message of hope.  “You can get there, too.”