Why not now? A question over text message
Being sober my own way
When is a good time? “Dunno.” So, why not now? Here’s the question received via text yesterday from a good friend.
“So, are you off the squirt?”
Paul had just read the ‘A start’ post. I was going to ‘wait a while’, empty my mind for a bit, and then get to it—not the getting off the cans, more the explaining part of what I’m trying to do here. See, again, delaying—no, this is a golden opportunity. That’s me talking to me. It’s a very personal condition, this. No? Still me talking to me.
And my text reply and conversation. I hope it does a better job than I in its explanation—as in what is ‘a different sober’
“No.” Abrupt, but true. “I’m just trying to use it better. I want to run it, the squirt that is, which equals alcohol, not it running me.” “I want more AFDs yes, alcohol free days, sorry to the uninitiated, but when I do use, I want it to be for a reason, not because I have to.”
“The commitment part is turning up and writing, which I believe will feed into the realignment.” “It should help my writing, too?” “Haha, you’re my teacher!”
My friend is a writer by trade, and an excellent one, published far and wide. He’ll be cringing at my textese style. We continued after he told me he’d been canless for weeks and was passing dust!—Dandenong humour there!
“Last thing I want is a woe-is-me party, telling everyone how great it is to be sober and how they should follow—nope!”
“I want to be sober my own way.” “Does that sound selfish?” He said not.
His last line, “Bloody love those IPAs.” I said, “And they should love you back.” “See you soon?” “Oh, while you’re here, can you red-pen tomorrow’s post?” “No can do, it’s your voice—tell the stories your way.” And that was that.
Does that cast a clearer shadow? Sincerely hope so. Happy Thursday.
Nick
