23 years Sober

My friend took her 23 years sober cake at AA tonight. I was glad she was sober. If she wasn't I'd probably not have known her. There's a good chance she'd be dead.  Alot of people I meet in AA are alive because of abstinence from alcohol. There lives were not better when they were drinking. They were a whole lot worse. Sober they are alive. 

They're no longer being poisoned physically by the effects of excessive alcohol. They're not developping the gastroenterological disorders associated with alcoholism like ulcers and pancreatitis. They're not developing the cancers associated with alcohol. They're not dementing with Korsakoff's. They're not falling in front of trucks or trains or sleeping with ugly strangers in black outs. They're not puking on the sides of cars or taking their clothes off in public places. They're not shooting off guns without consideration of the noise at night or where the bullets might be landing. They're not getting into fights with other drunks or non drunks or peace officers. They're not driving drunk and killing themselves or perfectly innoscent strangers on the road minding their own business until a drunken driver kills them or their loved ones. They're not falling down and ending up in trauma wards. They're not soiling themselves. They're not acting in ungentlemanly or unladylike ways. 

It's good to go to AA and see that alcoholics really do clean up nice in AA.  They become incredibly civilized and sober citizens.  My friend is a good mother today. She's educated herself in AA with university degrees and become a very learned lady.  She's always helping people.  I'm honoured to call her my friend and I don't think I'd ever have met her if she'd not been sober.   She's a special gift of AA. It was good to be there with her family and all her other friends too.  It's a real honor to be invited to an AA cake. Thank you.