Like Learning To Drive A Car

Ok, so it may be kind of random however I believe the analogy fits. Getting sober is like learning to drive. Think about it. You go to an AA meeting and see all these sober people. Happy and satisfied with their sober lives. You want that and you know you can do it. How many times before you actually got behind the wheel did you know you could drive the car?? Want to drive the car??

Then came the first driving lesson. Turns out there is a bit more to driving the car than just moving the wheel around. You have to be aware of what is around you, speed limits, other cars, children, weather. Many many factors in order to drive the car safely. Adjusting the seat, the mirrors, ok even the radio!! How much gas to give the car, how hard to press on the brake? Were are the damn windshield wipers???? Wow, it is not as easy as it looks.

Hands sweat, stomach clenches, walking is not so bad right? You are encouraged by friends and family to do it anyways. Parents are praying that you understand the importance of being a safe driver and that they never get "that call".

You listen to the instructions of the person brave enough to take you out driving. You make some mistakes, forget to look in the mirror before starting the car, hands are not at 10 and 2..... That's ok, you are learning. You hit the open road, the stakes are pretty high. If you make a mistake now the potential is death for you, your passenger and other people in your path. Complete destruction. Scary.

You practice, you start paying more attention to what others do behind the wheel. You learn, you get better, you pass the test. With each repletion of driving you get better ( well hopefully you do .... ) You never stop learning though. Each road has its challenges to be over come. Each day with traffic and weather conditions require thought and skill to drive. But you do it.

So how is this like AA? What made me think of it in the first place was watching a student driver the other day. For whatever reason I was zapped back in time to the first time I officially drove. (we won't talk about the time I drove my sisters jeep in the driveway .... and got caught!!)

What first came to me was that sick sensation in my stomach. Today I know it as fear and anxiety. The sweaty hands. The "oh God help me" prayer because there was just to much to remember and I would NOT be able to do it!! Just like the first time I walked through the doors of AA.

When I walked in the doors I thought getting sober was going to be as easy as ... well, driving a car!! Just stop drinking. I quickly discovered that there was a lot MORE than just stop drinking. I did not understand half of half of half of it. And that was on a GOOD day!

I met some people that were willing and brave enough to give me instructions. They told me some mistakes were ok to make, others would be deadly. They told me some of the roads I would take would be challenging beyond belief but I would be able to navigate them if I was following the rules of the road. They told me some of the roads would be pretty and enjoyable, yet I should drive them with the same vigilance as the hard ones. You will be just as dead at 20mph as 100mph. Don't take stupid chances.

They told me if I listened to them and kept practicing it would get easier and less scary. That I would get better.

And they were right.