18 Months Sober and a Wish

On December 19th, 2023, I turned 18. That is, 18 months clean and sober.

It has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. It has also been the most rewarding.

I wish I could have a drink (or two) after work.

I wish I could have a whiskey old-fashioned sweet with fish fry on a Friday night.

I wish I could have a bloody Mary for Saturday brunch.

I wish I could grab a case of beer and head to the lake.

I wish I could join my old friends for gin and tonics.

I wish I could enjoy a glass of wine with my mom around the holidays.

I wish I could do a lot of things when it comes to drinking alcohol.

But I can’t.

My wife and I camping with our baby daughter.

One was never enough for me. Two was an invitation. Three became a reason to keep going.

For nearly two decades, almost half of my life, I struggled off and on with addiction, alcoholism, gambling, depression, traumatic stress, and anxiety.

You name it, I tried it. You guessed it, I did it. You can’t imagine it, but this was my reality.

I’ve written books about what I have done. I’ve also kept a lot out.