Post by admin on Nov 13, 2003 0:00:58 GMT -5
Hi fellow EORs',
It seems here on EOR evryone has *no* problems staying sober so I thought we could share what are the pitfalls you avoid to maintain your sobriety?
I can share an experience I had a number of years ago. At an AA meeting I met a fellow member who went out drinking after 28 years of sobriety. He looked awful, disheveled in body and spirit.
After the meeting, I asked him what happened. He replied "I retired a year ago and *quit going to meetings*. I was having a barbecue in my back yard and the thought came to me that one beer won't kill me. I'll tell you a secret. It's 28 times worst than when I quit drinking 28 years ago".
I never saw him again!
Papa Frank, my sponsor died at 38 years sobriety. The last year of his life he closed all his comments with "people who don't go to meetings get drunk, people who go to meetings stay sober and I still go to meetings because *it's easier to stay sober than to get sober*".
How well I know the truth of that last statement from my history!
One last short story, there was a member of AA who quit going to meetings and had stayed sober for 5 years. When I told this to Papa Frank he said "he's not dead yet". Two years later, at 7 years without meetings he began to drink, became guilty and depressed and put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He again, goofed up becoming an invalid with no motor skills for the rest of his life.
Old Papa Frank knew what he was talking about!
For those who might reply "I stay sober without meetings" old Papa Frank would say "your not dead yet".
This post excludes any handicapped people who physically can not make f2f meetings but those of us who can, should!
Still muddling through a day at a time,
Tiger
It seems here on EOR evryone has *no* problems staying sober so I thought we could share what are the pitfalls you avoid to maintain your sobriety?
I can share an experience I had a number of years ago. At an AA meeting I met a fellow member who went out drinking after 28 years of sobriety. He looked awful, disheveled in body and spirit.
After the meeting, I asked him what happened. He replied "I retired a year ago and *quit going to meetings*. I was having a barbecue in my back yard and the thought came to me that one beer won't kill me. I'll tell you a secret. It's 28 times worst than when I quit drinking 28 years ago".
I never saw him again!
Papa Frank, my sponsor died at 38 years sobriety. The last year of his life he closed all his comments with "people who don't go to meetings get drunk, people who go to meetings stay sober and I still go to meetings because *it's easier to stay sober than to get sober*".
How well I know the truth of that last statement from my history!
One last short story, there was a member of AA who quit going to meetings and had stayed sober for 5 years. When I told this to Papa Frank he said "he's not dead yet". Two years later, at 7 years without meetings he began to drink, became guilty and depressed and put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. He again, goofed up becoming an invalid with no motor skills for the rest of his life.
Old Papa Frank knew what he was talking about!
For those who might reply "I stay sober without meetings" old Papa Frank would say "your not dead yet".
This post excludes any handicapped people who physically can not make f2f meetings but those of us who can, should!
Still muddling through a day at a time,
Tiger
. I will be back looking for Lin and others.