My name is Joannie, and I'm an alcoholic.

Like any good alkie, the day after I admitted I was an alcoholic, I expected to be cured, and my family and friends would all know that I had changed. They'd know I would no longer be the slobbering drunk I'd been for years. Funny thing, it didn't happen quite that way. It was a long and sometimes difficult road. Especially trying to convince my family that maybe I could shape up into a respectable human being. It was quite disheartening at first. I felt I was getting nowhere fast with myself. I still wanted to drink, and my family still expected me to drink. But I kept plugging away, and adding one day at a time. I couldn't think any further ahead than that anyway. I figured, if they didn't like me drunk and falling down, and if they didn't like the 'the new me,' then that's too bad because I was liking me better every day. I guess that is the start of progress ... putting down that drink, asking for help, finding a Higher Power, using that Higher Power, and trusting Him. First, I had to work on me, and maybe the rest would fall into place, and it did pretty much. I still have a long way to go with Joannie, but I sure would fall a long way back if I picked up a drink. My family has seen me evolve from that slobbering drunk to a grandma they want their kids to be around. That is progress, for sure. I am not sure I really want perfection any more. Perfection would mean complacency, and complacency would be a road back to, "maybe I can have just one drink." So I will be content today with progress. A little bit at a time and one day at a time. Today is all I have. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so I best make do with the progress I made yesterday and keep plugging along.