Hard Choices

Feb 21

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Used 2014-02-21 It's a trap (AlKHall sobriety recovery)

It’s a trap!

EDIT: After a comment received from a lovely reader who goes by an intriguing moniker, i’ve noticed the following post is unusually depressing, especially for me. Before you read on, i’d like to go record as saying that i’ve beensober for 3+ years now, and have re-found a natural optimism i’d lost in the bottle. Every day i wake up sober is a great day and each day is better than the previous. One of the reasons i’ve been able to stay sober so easily is that my life has become immeasurably better, and my drunken past looks horrible in comparison. Stay with it, it’s worth it! Now, i return you to your regularly scheduled depressing post…

Heard in the rooms

If I drink, guaranteed I will be unhappy.

If I don’t drink, maybe I won’t be unhappy.

It’s not a lot, but it’s the only choice we’ve got.

Choose wisely, one day at a time.

_______________________________

About Al K Hall

Like a battered drinker or a punch drunk boxer, i am here for another round. For those of you who don’t know me, i’m a semi-professional writer on the rocks and a non-practicing alcoholic (if after 30 years of practicing, you still can't do something well, it's best to just give it up). For those of you who do know me, thanks for stopping by anyway and where’s the ten bucks you owe me? Welcome to my Bar None. A hole in the wall where we can hang out and trade the kind of stories you swap only when you’ve had one too many and either can’t find your way home or are afraid to. Hell, it’s cheaper than therapy and plus the pictures are prettier. Here we’ll crack open bottles and jokes and ‘last call’ are the only dirty words you’ll never hear. Pull up a stool and make yourselves at home. http://about.me/AlKHall

Posted on February 21, 2014, in Alcoholics Anonymous, Alcoholism, Lessons in Recovery, Recovery and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 18 Comments.

  1. Doll Face | February 21, 2014 at 11:33 am

    Christ, that sounds so depressing. I am newly sober (49 days) and was hoping, obviously misguidedly, that by stopping drinking I would magically transform into being a happy camper. D’oh. But yes, you’re right, at least by not drinking I am guaranteeing that I won’t be unhappy all of the time.

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | February 21, 2014 at 11:55 am

      Oh no! i think i’ll add an addendum! Sober for 3 years now, i’ve found again a natural optimism i’d lost in the bottle and every day is better than the previous. One of the reasons i’ve been able to stay sober is that my life has become immeasurably better and my drunken past looks horrible in comparison. Stay with it, it’s worth it!

      Keep coming back,

      Al K Hall

      Reply
      • Doll Face | February 21, 2014 at 12:02 pm

        Thanks, Al, I will, indeed, stay with it. And so glad to hear your life is immeasurably better. Even after 49 days of sobriety I too can see that my drunken past looks horrible by comparison. Jeez – 30 years of horribleness. Yikes. x

        Reply
        • Al K Hall | February 21, 2014 at 12:19 pm

          Right!? i drank for 30 years as well! You and i are really among the very lucky. i’m sure you’ll see that life not only gets better, but it also gets easier.

          Keep coming back,

          Al K Hall

          Reply
  2. byebyebeer | February 21, 2014 at 2:36 pm

    I am going through a miserable stretch at the moment, fueled by some things outside my control and also a good bit I could do something about, but frankly am too tired. Waiting for spring and just a new lease on life. I know if I was still drinking, I’d be drinking more now and inviting more destruction and unhappiness. Life isn’t magical sober, but it’s easier in big and small ways that add up. I know rough spells are normal and they will pass. It does get easier, better. Absolutely.

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | February 25, 2014 at 5:49 pm

      Hi BBB!

      Sorry to hear about the rough stretch. Unfortunaely, sobriety doesn’t help us avoid the rocky roads, but it does help us ride them out. Spring is just around the corner (at least it is here in Yeaman!) and i’m sure things will stat getting sunnier even before then.

      Thanks for stopping by and keep coming back!

      Al K Hall

      Reply
  3. Learning Living Freely | February 21, 2014 at 5:07 pm

    This is important and I don’t think it is too depressing. It provides hope without promises, lays the important choice and potential consequences out for you, and requires that you have some faith. It is important to make the right choice for anything else to fall in place. If I don’t drink there is a chance of happiness. If I do drink, there is not. Even when times are rough in sobriety, I can see that they’d be much worse if I were still drinking.

    Thank you!

    Shaina

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | February 25, 2014 at 6:00 pm

      Thank you so much, Shaina!

      So much of staying sober is recognizing that we have choices and that we are responsible for those choices. Fortunately, the choices are much simpler than i thought they were. you know me, i’m a nice guy but not all that bright, so thank god all i have to do is remember not to drink and continue on from there.

      Keep coming back,

      Al K Hall

      Reply
  4. sherryd32148 | February 21, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    I don’t see depressing in this post…I see wisdom and reality.

    But then again, I’m one of those annoying people who is positive all of the time…so much so that I’ve been known to get on my own nerves.

    Sherry

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | February 25, 2014 at 6:05 pm

      Tell me about it!

      i’m often obnoxiously happy, so i try to keep a lid on it a little so as not to bug the crap out of those around me! Nice to know i’m not alone.

      Thanks for the visit, Sherry, and keep coming back,

      Al k Hall

      Reply
  5. carrythemessage | February 21, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    Sobriety is all about great years with shitty days thrown in there, because life is life. But the great thing is that when you look at the big picture, sobriety wins hands down. it’s not an automatic slam dunk when newly sober. Of course, it’s wonderful to have put the bottle down, but there are still things to deal with, and to deal with sober. But the rewards are there for sure!

    Thanks for this, Al.

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | February 25, 2014 at 6:06 pm

      “Because life” is about it, isn’t it? However hard it is, though, it would be harder if i were boozing and however good it it, it’s always better because i’m sober!

      Thanks for the comment, brother,

      Al K Hall

      Reply
  6. fugginbizzy | March 3, 2014 at 5:31 am

    Yeah.

    One of the greybeards in my home group says “Every day is so much better than the last, I can’t hardly believe it. Life just keeps getting better and better!” I’m not there yet, and may never be. I still have bad days…sometimes bad weeks.

    BUT…I have good days now too, fairly frequently, and those were rare-to-nonexistent when I was drinking.

    Reply
    • Doll Face | March 4, 2014 at 9:00 am

      Horrah for all the greybeards of the world. Even after only 60 days sober I can say that I have more good days than bad days. Today the sun is shining here in London, the birds are singing and I have a rare day off work. Horrah, indeed. x

      Reply
    • Al K Hall | March 10, 2014 at 4:40 pm

      Hey Fugginbizzy!

      i really get what your oldtimer said. i’m not a “greybeard” (even though my beard is flecked with grey) and i don’t know that i’ll ever become one, but i do know that i’ll be sober all day today and that each day i spend sober is better than the last.

      Keep coming back, brother,

      Al K Hall

      Reply
  7. fugginbizzy | March 3, 2014 at 5:33 am

    By the way, where do you get the pictures for your posts? Are you good with photoshop, do you know a graphic artist, or do you buy them? They’re awesome. I’d love to dress up my blog posts with creative images like that, but I’m the farthest thing from artistically gifted and stock photos cost more than I’m willing to pay.

    Reply
    • Al K Hall | March 10, 2014 at 4:58 pm

      Thanks for the props! To answer your question, i find the images online and borrow them. If someone asks me to take them down, i will, but that hasn’t happened yet. Just call me the Sobriety Outlaw. 😉

      Reply

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