Saturday, June 22, 2013

The power of community...

Just checked and I am 655 days sober today!!!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!!!! I'm going to celebrate that random number by putting on my new frock (naughtily purchased regardless of the fact I still haven't received my thesis grade)..and heading out to a party tonight. Really looking forward to it because I'm driving a bunch of friends up the motorway to get there so it'll be a totally fun, community vibe.

'Community' is one of those magical words that carries so much positive, wonderful energy. Community is so important to me in my recovery and on my sober journey...(look how the sobriety jargon is tripping off my tongue). Here's another cliched word - gratitude.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The online sober community has been a hugely powerful force in my life since I started blogging 2 days after I drank my last drink. I had no idea that the blog I was starting was going to end up being all about community. No idea that it was going to turn into the wonderful, warm, supportive, inspiring entity that it did. For the most part people online are really kind and gentle and lovely.. but even when occasionally there is a bit of 'grit' about it's all healthy, robust discussion material I feel.

Drinking problems, alcoholism, sobriety, recovery, and all that jazz.. it's a ginormous topic loaded with emotion and bravery and fear and ... well, frankly baggage. It's real and it's deep and it's life at it's most raw. We open ourselves up and have to take what comes our way. This sober sphere is a wonderful place to be and I'm so happy to be here, even though sometimes I feel deeply vulnerable and wonder why I don't just crawl under the bed covers and hide. 

Then I read about Carrie doing so well and reaching 100 days sober, buoyed along by the amazing  Belle and her inspiring challenge, and RoS inspiring people to get out and run and being lovely giving props to ByeByeBeer who is two years sober today!, and the wonderful male bloggers -  Mr Al K Hall working to silence his destructive inner voice and Paul thanking the sober community, calling us 'lamp lighters' (I love that!).. there is MysteryGirl doing amazingly well on a sober holiday, my darling Sherry feeling exhausted but still strong, the gorgeous Kary May working so hard she's missing her online love (we love you Kary May!!!)..

I could go on and on... brave SoberJournalist, and DrunkyDrunkGirl...and Amy.. and Lilly...

I don't know why I'm doing this actually, it's taking me ages to go to their blogs and then copy the url to get the link then put it in and change the colour to red... I could just say GO CLICK ON ALL THE BLOGS TO THE LEFT OF MY PAGE! There's a whole world out there of us writing, wrestling, dealing with shit, not dealing with shit, getting grumpy, feeling great, lurching from one sober day to the next...

And because of all of you fellow sober bloggers, and you lovely commenters, and you lurkers out there too (yes I can see you in my Stats page. Four hits right now as I type from Australia! Three from Canada! Hello Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I won't crawl under the bed covers and hide. I won't retreat into my bunker. I'm going to stay here. Sober and present on the internet for all to see.

Now, off to get my dancing shoes on!

Love, Mrs D xxx


7 comments:

  1. This is awesome, Mrs. D. SO glad you're part of my sober journey...!

    xx

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  2. OMG, a pingback, link or whatever you call it on Mrs's D's Blog...I am so excited!!
    It is huge this sober blogging thing...life changing stuff!
    Have a wonderful bop. I bet the dress is fab and hope you've got matching nails?!

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  3. Very groovy, Mrs. D. Thanks for the shout out...that is very kind of you. :)

    congrats on your 655 days! That's awesome!

    You are certainly one of the queen bees around these parts (I mean that in a good way - don't look at me like that)...so it's a pleasure when we connect. And of course when we all connect. That's what we do, isn't it? Amazing how some people have forged true friendships here on the interweb. So some of my fellow Canucks have been visiting you lately? And why wouldn't they? You rock.

    Blessings,
    Paul

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  4. Oh Girl, I love you too. Hmmm..if you were 655 days two days ago then I must be 649 days today. Confused yet? I love our little community too.

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  5. I love the sober blogosphere too - I wouldn't have got this far otherwise. I was a bit slow on the uptake, but I finally realised that there are some things you can't do on your own and for me sobriety was one of those things. Congratulations on 655 days - or 657 is it now? What a fantastically huge, random number! xx

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  6. i remember your early comments on my early posts and think about how much we've grown together. Thank you so much for being a part of this, it wouldn't be the same without you!

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  7. To you and everyone you shouted out to...you ALL rock and you ALL inspire me to do this "life thing" sober :) I'm going to commit to one year sober on my birthday this year. When I share this with my family & friends they tell me it sounds difficult, impossible, silly, unneccessary, etc. I tell them that I'm really excited about it, ready for it, and they are skeptical. I should tell them about all of you. You ALL make me believe it's not impossible...not always easy, but totally worth it. Thank you for being my new perspective on what life could be like without alcohol (and self-doubt, disappointment, regret, hangovers)!!

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