The Recovered Gentleman – issue 03

I’ve always been a social guy, and by consequence, I’ve always been surrounded by people. However, before getting sober, I had only a handful of relationships that had any depth. Nothing that I was doing with my life the few years leading up to me getting sober placed me in a position to establish any meaningful connections.The obsession to use drugs and alcohol had been removed somewhere throughout my journey through the step work. That, I knew was nothing short of a miracle. But something became present in my life that I was completely unfamiliar with – receiving and experiencing compassion for others. The members of the recovery community in Austin took me in and showed me the kind of love that I could, for the first time, reciprocate. I jumped into the inner circle, and became closest to the people who had the kind of freedom that I wanted.There are several things that I’ve come to know that only another alcoholic / drug addict will completely understand:

  • The inability to stop drinking/using once we start
  • The inability to stay stopped
  • The love that we have for the alcoholic / drug addict, suffering or not.

The relationships that I have been blessed with have saved my life and my sobriety more times than I can count. Especially during those times when I am delusional and unable to see reality for what it is; the people that truly care about me tell me the truth despite the way it is going to make me feel.Human connection now means something totally different to me. My life is full of relationships with men and women whom all play a role. Every person in my life was placed there for some divine reason. Regardless of the surface level purpose that a person holds space for, we are all connected on a spiritual level that enables us to accomplish more than we ever could alone. I could not be more grateful the experience of getting sober, waking me up to a completely different meaning of life. A meaning of life that my closest friends understand; a meaning of life that I want others to grasp.-Will BrownContinuum of Care Coordinator