A sudden bout of insomnia a few years back, maybe a lot more, had me waking up around midnight for more than a week. You should probably know that after I’ve done some reading, said my thanks to my higher power, and shut the light out it’s not quite ten in the evening. So, waking up two hours later and finding myself awake for until three is a bit daunting. These times usually occur when I have some stressful work or personal situation to labor through. I’ve gotten into the habit now of writing the problems and solutions out in bullet format. Works wonders.
It was during this one particular insomnia period I came across the “Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.” Now, if you know who he is, and I didn’t really know at the time, you’d know he is in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. I don’t know, and I still don’t know if he ever had to experience a methadone detox or anything like that, but it was one of those nights he spoke from his heart about his addiction.
As I’ve said many times when I am asked to speak, we all have the same song to sing. We just use different lyrics. Although I used drugs, my main ‘drug of choice’ was and would still be alcohol. With Ferguson, it is what he went through that I could identify with. Not specifics of course, but the feelings; shame, misery, alienation, and anger.
I identified with his ‘story.’ I’ve included the video above, and this is probably my favorite portion of the video:
“I wish that anyone who struggles with alcohol addiction, as I did for more than 20 years, could watch this and take that first step toward gaining control of their lives. My life isn’t any greater than it was when I was drinking every day, but at least now I experience it with a bit more clarity. I’ve been sober for 12 years, and I am grateful that I have had that much time. I hope I can stay sober today and tomorrow, and the next day.”