Hi my name is David I am an alcoholic. I took my first drink
when I was sixteen and I did not know where I was going to
finish up. Well I went home that night and my father said to
me if you carry on drinking like that you will finish up with
nothing and I said to him it is all right for you . You have
done all this let me do my own thing and there was the start
of a love and hate thing between me and my mum and dad
for a long time until I got to AA.

So I went on my way I had a job where I worked with my
dad, it was on a farm we had to get up and start at 5:30am
it was no problem to me then I waited until I was 18 then my
dad could say nothing to me and away I went out on the town
on a Saturday night I though it was great this drink it gave me
something I never had before;  courage to do a lot of things,
dance, talk to the girls and all that kind of stuff I fell out with my
dad and I said I would get him back for all the things he had
done to me. Then I got married it was OK to start with my
ex-wife and I had three little girls it was a good time.  Then I went
for a drink then I would spend the money.  Well it lasted for four
years and my wife took off with another man and left me with the
three girls.  So I put the kids into the care of the local council care
today I am glad I did, they were well looked after.  My wife then
divorced me and she took the kids back I was not to see the kids
again until I was thirteen years sober.  Then I went on my way
drinking and into all sorts of trouble with the police involved getting
one night stands getting out in the morning and go for more drink
that put me there in the first place and every time that happened I
would say never again it was to get worse.

Then I met the girl who was to be my second wife (and she is still
with me today) I was quite sober the night I met her which was a
Friday I said I would see her on Saturday night but I went for a drink
first and was late but she was there when I got there I gave her some
excuse for being late. Well I took her up to see my mum and dad and
my dad said to her listen lass if I were you I would go on your merry
way because this guy is a heap of trouble but she did not listen we got
married and I found a job and everything was going great then I went
for a drink came home drunk and she was not pleased, to say she was
happy, would be telling a lie. I told her that I worked all week and I was
entitled to a drink it did not stop there I lost many jobs I was always in a
job with a tied house then one day she said to me I want to go for a
council house because she was always waiting to be thrown out on to
the street. So we got a council house and I got a job driving trucks and
it was a great job driving all over the country I was always stopping on
the road home and having a drink we were always fighting then I lifted my
hands to her. A thing I said I would never do black outs were now in my
life and I was not remembering things and I would say It would never
happen again but it did.  Well I lost my driving licence twice all through
drink we had two children by now and it had to get worse.

I never gave her any money and if it had not been for my mother in law the
kids would have no shoes I did not care for them or myself I would not go
for wash or hair cut my mum and dad would cross the road if they saw me
coming. I would not know what I was doing and when I said to my wife I
cant remember where I had been and who I was with she said you must
know where you have been I said I did not know.  Then one night I came
home from the pub and I don't remember a thing about what happened that
night I woke up in the police cell again I said what am I in here for he said
you will find out in time I went up in front of the judge and I was accused
of attempted murder how do you plead I said not guilty well I was to go
and set up my witnesses and come back to court and defend myself.  So
when I got home my wife's neck was all marked and I said who did that to
you she said you did, I said I would never do that to you, and she said you did
it. So I phoned the court to change my plea to guilty and take my chances.
I went back to court and I got off with a with a warning that if I was ever in
court again I was going away for a long time. But when I got out of court I
went for a wee drink and then we went home for a long talk and she put her
cards on the table and said she has had enough and if I did nothing about my
drinking she was leaving and taking the girls with her I said there is nothing
wrong with my drinking if she would stop nagging I would be OK I drank
for another week.

On Thursday 28th April I phoned AA. This was not my worst drunk but it
brought me to my knees. When I phoned AA she said what have you done
now. So on Friday 29th April I was on my way to be sober.  My first meeting
I don't remember to much and when I got home she said to me to stop telling
lies and I said if you don't believe me you can come with me and she did that
was where I started to use her name; Christine .

Well I did everything AA said I was to do went to plenty meetings find a group
find a Sponsor and I did all this I got my first year in and it was great then my
Sponsor said now get the sleeves rolled up and start working the program .
( I lost my Sponsor he died ) And I still miss him today but I have all the things
he told me still in my mind and now I am passing thing on to other people
and I know he is still watching over me I have another Sponsor now always
have had one . In sobriety I have handled a lot of bad things and bad and never
took a drink that Sponsor I was writing about is away and he took my 5th step
rubbish with him. To day my wife and my grand children and myself have
a good life today I love my wife more to day than I ever did and by the
grace of GOD and AA we will be married 32 years this year. well done AA.

My grandchildren have never seen me drunk and I hope they never do.
It was great writing this and if anyone gets something out of it AA told me
to share and I have done that here.
 
 
 

Thank You
David