The 27th August 1995 was a Sunday. I know this because that very day I had my last drink. As the say in AA never forget the last one. I still remember it like yesterday. Going into rehab the next day and with no alcohol in the house, I had decided not to drink for the first time in a very long time. With withdrawal symptoms driving me up the wall, I was desperately trying to keep the demons at bay. If I could have just one more drink all, would be well. Picking something up from the kitchen floor my eyes suddenly rested on a bottle of strong beer ‘hidden’ away under a cupboard. That beer was as sent from heaven and you probably have to be an alcoholic with trembling hands to appreciate how good I felt putting that bottleneck to my lips.
So, still taking one day at a time, I shall wake up tomorrow morning celebrating 20 years of sobriety. Practicing Alcoholics Anonymous 12 step program on a daily basis has given me total freedom from the alcohol demon that almost killed me in 1995. But I still subscribe to the one day at a time philosophy that’s an important part of the program. Leonard Cohen will tell you there’s no cure for love, and AA that there’s no cure for alcoholism. But by practicing the program, you get a daily reprieve. Why worry about staying sober the rest of your life when another 24 hours will do very nicely. It’s a philosophy that makes a heck a lot of sense to any AA newcomer and which tomorrow has given this grateful alcoholic 7.305 days of sobriety. One day at a time.