Survival never goes out of style.

If you could save yourself,
you could save us all.
Go on living, prove us wrong.
Your leap of faith could be a well-timed smile.
Survival never goes out of style.

Editor's note:  playing video at high volume while reading blog entry recommended.

One year.  Three hundred and sixty five fucking days.

Lost: 77 lbs

Resting heart rate: 48bpm

Ridden:  5,796 miles on my $600.00 entry level road bike.

Diet: completely overhauled

Possessions:  most of the excess crap sold off.

The beach house:  Fond memories but it was time to move on.

Debt:  Paid off 

Established a semblance of a relationship with my brother

Lost my woman; got her back again

That's what sits between me and my last hangover.

I didn't have a drinking problem, I had a thinking problem.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As children, adolescents and young adults, people are taught learn and develop a set of strategies or 'tools' for coping with life.  Mine were woefully inadequate   Life dealt me a couple of shitty hands and I didn't know how to care for myself.  My tool of choice when the shit hit the fan was to numb myself with alcohol.

I'm fortunate that things broke down, that I broke down, and that I was forced to develop some better strategies for coping with life.  It's been the best thing that ever could have happened to me.

The first year of this blog is my gift to you.  It is a living testament to the fact that if your life sucks you can change it.  It's not easy in the beginning, but if I can do it you can too.  It's worth it. The world becomes a much bigger and more interesting place when you stop running from your problems.

Life is an amazing and precious thing.  Strange how lightly we treat this irreplaceable, matchless gift.  Like playing football with a Ming vase.

So stop fucking around and take control of your life right now.  Don't waste another moment.  Seize the day.

Be well and I'll chat with you again soon.

-s<