Hi everyone, my name is Dave and I'm an alcoholic.

I wanted to say something about progress. Am I as angry as I used to be? Not by a long shot, but anger still arises now and then. Am I as fearful as I was? Hardly at all, but fear still shows its ugliness occasionally. Indeed, today I am free, I feel joy relatively often, and am sometimes happy too. However, that is not to say I am never restless, irritable, nor discontent anymore. Sometimes I still experience those feelings. You see, I was always such a perfectionist, which was really just a way of continually quitting before I achieved anything. Today I do not have flawless sobriety by any means, but I have been granted a perfect release from alcoholism. As long as I don't quit before the miracle happens by picking up that first drink, as long as I hang in just one more day, whether good or bad, I will surely improve. Sometimes quickly ... and you all know the rest of that line. The point is that I am willing to keep growing today. That if I experience a temporary setback in my attitudes, if some days my spiritual outlook is not exactly saintly, it doesn't mean I have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. I simply need to recognize my mistakes and redouble my efforts. I value each and every day of my sobriety like they're gold coins in the bank of my new life, put there through the paradox of gifted Grace combined with hard work. For me this flawed, human progress (I have actually begun to enjoy) is one of the clearest signs that I've finally joined the human race. Whew, what a relief! Thanks so much, everyone, and please just don't drink, no matter what.