30 years sober today.

[paul cottingham]

As is my tradition, I am sharing this just because.
That is all.

[Jim Rimmer]

Congratulations. I am at 129 days without smoking on my way to the rest of a smoke-free life.

[George Bokros]

Congrats. You are awesome.

[paul cottingham]

Congratulations. I am at 129 days without smoking on my way to the rest of a smoke-free life.

Good stuff, Jim, stick with it. I am smoke free about 15 years now.

[Shane Copps]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.

[paul cottingham]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.

That's good stuff!
It's a cliche, but I still live one day at a time. Makes for poor financial planning, but it works.

[James Tibbetts]

That's good stuff!
It's a cliche, but I still live one day at a time. Makes for poor financial planning, but it works.

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One day; sometimes one minute! Whatever works, just keep stackin' 'em up!!
23 years for me so far.

[Andrew Joiner]

Happy birthday to all. I got clean and sober March 21st 1975,and I still do it one day at a time.

[paul cottingham]

Happy birthday to all. I got clean and sober March 21st 1975,and I still do it one day at a time.

Holy cow, that's inspirational indeed. I was 13 (!) when you got sober.

[Andrew Joiner]

Holy cow, that's inspirational indeed. I was 13 (!) when you got sober.

Thanks Paul. Your story is inspirational as well. I got sober when I was 24. It's truly a miracle.

The age thing is funny. 5 years ago I was visiting my neighbor Bill. He was 90 years old and 50 years sober. I was 57 at the time. Bill was an incredible craftsman and ahead of his time design wise. He was giving me a tour of the mid-century modern house he designed and built. We were looking at his long indoor concrete stairway. Bill said he poured and finished it all by himself. He described in detail every move of the pour that took him till midnight to finish. I was amazed,one man (who's now 90) did all this in a day and remembered every detail. I said "how long ago did you pour this?" Bill promptly said "July of 1951". I said "that's the year I was born". He just smiled. I was totally humbled.

[paul cottingham]

Thanks Paul. Your story is inspirational as well. I got sober when I was 24. It's truly a miracle.

The age thing is funny. 5 years ago I was visiting my neighbor Bill. He was 90 years old and 50 years sober. I was 57 at the time. Bill was an incredible craftsman and ahead of his time design wise. He was giving me a tour of the mid-century modern house he designed and built. We were looking at his long indoor concrete stairway. Bill said he poured and finished it all by himself. He described in detail every move of the pour that took him till midnight to finish. I was amazed,one man (who's now 90) did all this in a day and remembered every detail. I said "how long ago did you pour this?" Bill promptly said "July of 1951". I said "that's the year I was born". He just smiled. I was totally humbled.

I was 22 when I got sober.
My dad was able to humble me the same way, right up to the day he died. The stuff he accomplished in his 50's and 60's through sheer good natured determination and hard work were amazing. He drank very little, but his dad was a drunk, his brother was a drunk, and his sister married two or three of them.

[Michael Mahan]

Congratulations, I myself will make 1 year sober on Friday! Thank you for being an inspiration.

It gets easy after each day that passes , I'm 10 years sober

drinking is distant memory
I don't miss making myself stupid

[Dave Sheldrake]

Is alcohol a common problem in the United Sates? I'm not being facetious, it's an honest enquiry.

cheers

Dave

[Jason Roehl]

Is alcohol a common problem in the United Sates? I'm not being facetious, it's an honest enquiry.

cheers

Dave

Common? Hard to say. There are plenty at all points on the spectrum. There are hard-core, sloppy drunks who can't do a thing, there are those who are "functional drunks"--they get drunk all the time, but manage to hold a job and family, there are casual drinkers, there are binge drinkers, there are recovering alcoholics, and there are teetotalers. I like to have a beer here and there, and sometimes several, and I hate getting drunk. But, it seems more and more that the people around me are largely either recovering (and I don't want to tempt them) or teetotalers who would be offended if I had one in their presence, so I don't.

Congrats, Paul, on taming your demon for 30 years.

[paul cottingham]

But, it seems more and more that the people around me are largely either recovering (and I don't want to tempt them) or teetotalers who would be offended if I had one in their presence, so I don't.

Congrats, Paul, on taming your demon for 30 years.

You are a fine friend to those good folks. But for the record, if they are tempted cause you are having a beer around them, they should not be there, not the other way around. The only person I have ever asked not to drink around me is my wife, and only in very stressful times.