OK…. I’m not a literary genius. And my spelling usually sucks. So I hope this comes across the way I intended it.
As of today I am 10 years clean and writing this too make sure that anyone in the same situation knows there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
10 Years ago I was in a situation with a few choices. They were as follows. Live or Die, wind up in Jail or stay free, be a decent human being or a leach on society.
When I look back at these choices they seem to be no brainers. But at 22 years old all I saw was girls and fun. What tipped me over the edge was something my mother used to ask when I was in trouble. “Was that how we raised you?” Now I heard this over and over as a kid. But it took some startling words from a Sheriff in Brainerd for me to realize what they meant. (We won’t get into those words though.) When I woke up the morning of Sept. 4th all I could hear was my mother and all I could do was cry. I hated the man I had become.
So there’s the back ground. Now here’s why I’m writing this. As I made the move to clean up my life it was hell. I had withdrawals and the shakes. For a man that made a living with his hands neither of these were a good situation. I was in the midst of loosing what I thought were my friends and my lively hood to boot. The night mare I was living at the time was incredible. Had it not been for family and the words of “wisdom” given to me by that Sherriff I would have hit the bottle within days. Then one day I realized that the thoughts of going to the bar had gone from every 5 minutes to every hour, and then it was 5 hours, then 10. Eventually I found my self not wanting to go very often. 10 years later I still want to drink. But I don’t think about it very often. My “Thirsty Days” only seem to show up a few times a year now. It’s been a struggle getting here, but it’s been worth it.
When I started this journey I lived in an apartment, had no money, bad credit, I was a liar, and those that I thought were friends weren’t. Now I have a home, wife, 2 beautiful daughters and a business. I can’t imagine where I would be if I hadn’t made the change. The moral is this. “If it’s easy it’s not worth doing.” This goes for almost any struggle that we face day to day. So don’t just look at this post as another drunk telling me how he kicked the hootch. If you struggle in the end it WILL be worth doing.
If there is anyone out there that needs to leverage my experiences please shoot me a PM. My life was given back too me by a series of people and events that allowed me to succeed. If I can repay this in any way to someone else please don’t hesitate to ask.
Again… I hope this reads as someone sharing there experiences. That is the way I intended it.
God bless and thank you for taking the time.
Chris
as in hunting and fishing 
May you “keep it simple”. Thanks for your story, hope it helps others out there that think there is no help for them. I know from family members how tough it is. I am a nondrinker from seeing what it does to a person, but not everyone is that strong. Stay strong 
though 
I wasn’t worried about a whoopin. I know his kid. The kids a big sissy And he aint much too look at. 