Comments on: 8 Mile

By: angela

angela — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 21:06:40 +0000

I was looking on amazon last night and to my shock and horror caroline knapp had died at 42! I felt like I had lived her life when I read the book 4 years ago, good for you, only a fellow alcoholic knows the embarrassment and pain of reeking of alcohol and watching yourself fall into the bottle day after day, bless you, I am still reeling from her early death.

By: Mal Kline

Mal Kline — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 13:11:55 +0000

Dan Rather used to say “Courage” for no apparent reason but you have actually given us an example of it. Congratulations!

By: Feeble Knees

Feeble Knees — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 19:41:05 +0000

Belated Congratulations! We can’t get those wasted years back, but God can most surely redeem them.

grace & blessings to you,
Feeble

By: Rancher

Rancher — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 08:54:56 +0000

Happy birthday LB!

Don’t look back with regrets or sorrow. Do look back from time to time for a comparison of the difference in the quality of your life. The contrast between then and now is the greatest motivator imaginable!

My AA birthday is 9/12/86 and it just keeps getting better.

By: Miriam Sawyer

Miriam Sawyer — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 02:34:50 +0000

God writes straight with crooked lines

By: Byron R.

Byron R. — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 23:59:19 +0000

I thank you and say congratulations for choosing to take the power that was in your hands all the time.

I’m sure was not easy, but I think your blog and writings are pretty impressive.

Congratulations!

By: Clint Lovell

Clint Lovell — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:13:32 +0000

Congratulations to you. I’ve been sober now for over 20 years. It wasn’t easy because I have multiple personality disorder so this complicated my recovery because I/we thought the problems would end with the drinking.

Little did I know how big my problems really were until I started in recovery just 6 years ago.

Now I realize I’m blessed and can stop and smell the roses a bit more, be an outstanding parent and revolutionary grandparent because I’m not making the extremely stupid decisions I used to make when I drank.

Sobriety rocks, LB. Life is exciting enough just the way it comes without reaching for the old bottle to liven things up. Makes me want a drink.

I guess the wound never really heals, you just get better at ignorning the pain it causes…

By: Mustang 23

Mustang 23 — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 06:35:51 +0000

Congrats on this big accomplishment. It is something to be proud of. If I ever meet you I will have to remember to buy you a Soda or a Juice.

Keep it up!

By: dick

dick — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 05:36:28 +0000

I know exactly what you mean. I spent 25 years of going out a couple of times a week and getting so drunk I didn’t remember getting home. For some reason I never had a hangover or had a problem getting to work the next day somehow. However, I did get a DUI in 1984. Stopped cold turkey from that and have not had a drink since. Don’t miss it a bit. I can even go out with friends who drink with no problem.

The one thing I did notice is that the times and things that seemed so funny before really aren’t. I can be with people who are falling out over how funny something is and it just seems sad to me now. Was I that way then too?

What a waste of a lot of money and time.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 05:07:48 +0000

I needed your post today. Thanks for sharing your story.
My moment of clarity came on November 14, 1994. I was about to loose my job, loose my wife and hurt all those that loved me. Since then God has blessed me with two beautiful daughters, adopted form China; a career, and a loving wife and family. God is good all the time and I am grateful for his grace and love.
You made me smile, remember and be grateful…thanks!!!!
Greg

By: Francene

Francene — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 20:29:08 +0000

My husband and I both quit smoking – cold turkey – over 19 years ago. I had a 3-pack a day habit and he smoked 2 packs a day. During the 80’s I had 3 heart attacks! Addiction is addiction – regardless of the medium, so we can identify with you and rejoice with you in God’s goodness and mercy! Keep on fighting the good fight, LaShawn. You – along with the rest of us – are learning how to be good at ‘ducking and dodging’ those fiery darts by the help of our Father. HOORAY!!

By: mj

mj — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 17:43:17 +0000

There’s nothing to regret–you’re still running the race, it’s not over until your last breath. And you have a successful blog and writing career, too.

By: Mason

Mason — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 17:24:40 +0000

“Still I wish I could have all those years back.”

Never do that. You are who you are because of them. Without them you would be someone else and we probably wouldn’t like that person as well as we like you.

Mason 18 years and counting.

By: muzikdude

muzikdude — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 15:30:36 +0000

You wish you could have those years back because you feel you would do something better with them. Without living those years as you did, you wouldn’t be who you are today. God used your experiences to build you into someone unique that obviously cares about doing His will. Had you not struggled in the past, you may not be where you are in your walk today.

We tend to become complacent in our faith when we lack the trials that force us to rely on God.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 07:32:40 +0000

Thank you for sharing your story, you are on my daily reading list and I have always come away impressed. June will be 2 years for me (alcohol and drugs). Keep up the good work and be yourself, you’re awesome.