I understand how you feel, John, A. Giurin, but I always try to remember rule#62-don’t take yourself too seriously.

I, and many of my friends in AA, refer to ourselves as “ex-drunks”. We don’t do it constantly or repeatedly. It’s a joviality that reminds us of rule#62. It reminds me to be humble, that I am not, “all that and a bag of chips”! Like all of us, I’m special, and have a lot to offer, but I’m also human, fallible, and quite often, wrong. I can’t beat myself up over the past forever. At some point, I have to move on with my life, and live it as well as I’m able, not hampered by the insecurities brought on by the ghosts of the past.

If I’m still insecure about parts of my past, taking offense at every reminder, I still have a lot of work to do, forgiving myself…and the offender. I forgive the offender, not for their benefit, but for my own, releasing myself from the resentment that I clutch to my breast, festering… Only then can I be free of those chains that hold me back from being the best*me* that I can be. Only then can I be free to be of service to others and fulfill my purpose on this Earth.

I honestly care little what other people think of me. I’m,(reasonably), proud of myself, and every single person like me, who gets sober.

I’m sorry about your mom. Truly I am. I only, exclusively, call *myself* an EX-drunk. It’s none of my business what other people are, or aren’t.

Peace Love Kindness Respect the more you give the more you get 😍

😍😘😇🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼