V

“Too much living is no way to die.”
Annual report, year 5 A.D.
Lost three friends to the grave, much too young. Lost more friends to circumstance.
Made new friends, really good ones, and reconnected with old ones, really good ones.
Lost some family. Got tighter with other family. My kids and my siblings and my parents rock.
Watched friends go out, get drunk, come back. Watch friends go out, get high, not come back.
Did not drink. Did not consider drinking. Did not have weird dreams about drinking.
For the whole year.
Which is something, I suppose.
When I was at zero, five seemed unimaginable. Now it’s just another year.

P.S. Happy birthday, Professor Morris. I’d give it all back to be able to stand you a round of Jameson.

12 Comments to "V"

  1. October 20, 2008 - 10:44 am | Permalink

    I’m so very proud of you.

  2. sarah's Gravatar sarah
    October 20, 2008 - 12:41 pm | Permalink

    congratulations, ray. happy anniversary.

  3. Susan's Gravatar Susan
    October 20, 2008 - 12:59 pm | Permalink

    Happy anniversary, Ray, and congrats on however many days-at-a-time this is.

  4. Meg's Gravatar Meg
    October 20, 2008 - 3:07 pm | Permalink

    Happy ‘birthday’, Ray – what an accomplishment.

  5. October 21, 2008 - 1:59 pm | Permalink

    Congrats, Ray, and happy anniversary. Most fantastic is this!

  6. October 22, 2008 - 7:40 am | Permalink

    Keep on

  7. dea's Gravatar dea
    October 22, 2008 - 11:39 pm | Permalink

    Hey, honeyman…sorry, I haven’t been online much, so just seeing this now. Congratulations! That is no small accomplishment. Be proud!

  8. October 25, 2008 - 9:37 am | Permalink

    Good job, Ray. Congrats on the anniversary.

  9. October 29, 2008 - 12:22 pm | Permalink

    It’s late applause, but applause all the same. Hell of a year, huh? Glad you’ve survived.

  10. October 18, 2009 - 6:39 pm | Permalink

    Yashir koach (well done) to you. Here’s to many, many more years A.D.
    And welcome back to the blog-o-rama.

  11. October 19, 2009 - 9:01 am | Permalink

    Good for you.

  12. October 21, 2009 - 1:12 am | Permalink

    Hey, man, glad to hear/read from you.
    No explanations necessary.

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