OT: Today is my 35th Anniversary

[fishhead]

Hi Everybody

Today is my 35th anniversary of stopping drinking....

...Getting in touch with reality has been painful and difficult, especially as I have had untreated sleep apnea for all of my sobriety, except the last few months. But even so, in sobriety I am at last getting to know me, and what an amazing journey that has turned out to be.

So I thought I would share my Anniversary with you all. I have to admit that I did not expect that as I got older I would have all the health problems that I have, but I am always very happy to be sober, because everything else in my life depends on it.

cheers

Mars

As I am going for a ride on my bike I have asked my beautiful cat Dusty to stand in as my Avatar until I come back.

congratulations, mars! that is really something to feel good about! thank you for sharing your personal story of triumph.

[elg5cats]

Hi Everybody
Today is my 35th anniversary of stopping drinking. As I am going for a ride on my bike I have asked my beautiful cat Dusty to stand in as my Avatar until I come back.

Good for you, amazing and something to be very proud of and celebrate............I hope the bike took you for a relaxing wonderful ride along a safe pathway to return to snuggle and celebrate with Dusty....... Congratulations!

elg5cats

[TWW]

Belated Congratulations!

[sagesteve]

GREEEAT! I too agree with you on all that you said. Alcoholism is NOT a disease! My Dad, a Pearl Harbor Vet on the USS Maryland, just passed away at 86 years old. He was my step-dad but in my heart my DAD. He was always good to me. He was a big leader in AA and so I experienced what it was all about. He married my Mom when I was 12. I've seen people, friends and my Dad go through it all. I was never a drinker and still not much. I drink wine and a few mixed drinks very rarely. It's not the AA or anything I've seen-- but just me...I'm just not a drinker. I'm 62 now and I've seen it all and I have ALWAYS felt that Acholhism is NOT a disease. I'm just speaking from experience and observations. Again, Congrats!

[twokatmew]

Happy anniversary, Mars. And congratulations on a most wonderful achievement.

Thank you so much for sharing your story!

Margaret

[mars]

Hi Everybody

Especially KatieW, Muse-Inc, DoriC, -SWS, Kteague, rested gal, Uncle_Bob, dsm, DreamOn, BleepingBeauty, tattooyu, Kiralynx, rosiefrosie, Wulfman, fishhead, elg5cats ,TWW, sagesteve, twokatmew and all you others who sent me goodwill messages on the ether

I had a great day, my back was good, visited a few op-shops, and went to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting that night. So many young kids, and some not so young, with only a few days, weeks or months of clean time. I sometimes find it difficult to know how they can relate to me, given that I stopped using so long ago, but I found that talking about the truth of my personal recovery, and that we are here to be ourselves, not what someone else thinks we should be, is something that many of them can relate to.

I thank you for all your goodwill messages, and I will quickly try to answer a few queries that were brought up.

Dusty was a feral cat living with a large family of cats in the alley behind where I lived. It took me 12 months of feeding her, slowly getting closer to her, before she joined myself and Misty in our flat. This was when a lady on the other side of the alley discovered that all these cats were living in her attic. She got the cat-catcher in, and they all disappeared. I eventually traced Dusty to the RSPCA, bailed her out, got her vet'd and spayed, and she joined the family.

I will just tell one story about her. Misty, my beautiful companion of 20 years, was getting a little unsteady, and showing her age. One day Misty vanished. I looked all over, and eventually checked underneath a concrete walkway next to the flats, and found her at the other end. With a torch could just see Misty's eye's glowing at the far end. With only a few inches of clearance I could not get there. So I went to the end she was at, and started digging. After about half an hour I was exhausted. I looked up, and at the other end of the flats was Dusty, with Misty, just coming out from under the walkway! Dusty had gone all the way underneath the concrete, had a talk to Misty, and brought her out. Thats my compassionate cat Dusty

Misty died in my arms not long after, and I now believe she went under the walkway to die. But Dusty gave the three of us just a little longer together

The bike has an explanation of sorts, but I will leave that for another day.

I am sorry to say that my first marriage did not survive the withdrawal from alcohol, the 5 or more meetings a week that I did then, 6 months unrecognised tuberculosis (coughing up blood and feeling half-dead), and my going into hospital for tuberculosis treatment. I guess the best present I could give her was an introduction to Al-Anon and a hassle free divorce. But I do believe that if I had not been married, together with the guilt and shame of what I was doing, then I would probably not have reached rock bottom.

My second marriage floundered in a morass of deteriorating brain function and physical tiredness caused by sleep apnea. My second wife used to constantly wake me up when I stopped breathing, but we didn't know that anything could be done, or even should be done.

I haven't had a medallion for years. Thank you, DreamOn, I will cherish it and return it to you on your 35th anniversary.

About me driving on the wrong side of the road - well - the police told me, with amazement, that every car I was heading for on the wrong side of the road, was in a spot where they were able to pull over and let me pass. Unbelievable. I have a lot to be grateful for during that day. Some years later I did find one of the police-women who stopped me; I thanked her and made amends to her.

So that is a little of my story, thank you everyone for the support I have had in this Forum, and good luck to all of us.

cheers

Mars

[DreamOn]

I'm glad you had an enjoyable and meaningful anniversary day.

[YELOOCD]

I also am in recovery though I don't believe they care what I believe in, but some people have to be right even if the disease / not a disease is saying basically the same thing ..some will argue about anything ... 8 years sober if I make it to February.
I think the key is letting others have their opinions, not just in AA...in life...I like to argue and it just don't make sense to tear down what seems to work for someone else ... anyway I really want to say that is an achievement.

[DreamOn]

I think the key is letting others have their opinions, not just in AA...in life...I like to argue and it just don't make sense to tear down what seems to work for someone else ... anyway I really want to say that is an achievement.

Oh yes! Life would be so boring if we all thought the same way!

Congrats on your almost eight years, YELOOCD! And I'm glad you're here.

~ DreamOn

[DoriC]

Mars, Thank you for responding to my "assumed" questions when it wasn't even necessary for you to do so, but then again,you're quite a guy for sharing your life story with us. Wishing you the best of everything. Dori

[Autopapdude]

Mars, congrats on your anniversary, and know that I respect you tremendously for this momentous accomplishment!

[araminta]

Way to go! That's impressive, Mars.
AS well as to all the others who have accomplished the seemingly impossible: real change.