I've been sober many years...over 35 ...Recently I crossed the Panama Canal, to the Pacific side, in my own boat... with a crew of one American, one Brit and 2 New Zealanders..I bought of course a case of beer...Which can only be drank when the pilot not aboard...Since the crew got off quickly on the other side, at the Balboa yacht club. I'm stuck with 18 cans of beer..Yesterday laying in a bed of ice in a large cooler they looked highly attractive...especially in the hot weather and the exhausting 24 hr experience... Adding to the slight compulsion factor, the celebratory phase of completion...I'm running out of soft drinks which is dangerous...Need to stock up tomorrow..
Tomorrow a good friend is expected at the yacht club, a seasoned circumnavigator.. completing his crossing... before heading out to New Zealand single handed once across.....My intention give him the 18 cans or so left...get them off the boat quickly!...I have no problem in providing alcohol for others but when left idle like that it's compulsively and potentially dangerous to me.
I did meet a nice young very attractive lady in Panama City to unwind with...surprisingly and thankfully she did not drink
I have a lot to be grateful for...especially good friends.. God provides for me, to meet my needs, whatever it may be, along the way.
Why I'm writing this is that there is a vestage of compulsion there and to re-inforce my intention to get the beer off my yacht quickly...while crew is not aboard.. the beer serving no purpose for me whatsoever...
Buying alcohol for others, providing I'm thinking of their well being is just fine and has purpose..but once removed It can be potentially deadly for me.I know that.
35 years is a long time between drinks..but not long enough I figure..LOL
Hello Thomas, greetings for St. Petersburg! At least you can throw out the Ice, warm beer is not nearly as tempting lol. I wonder what Frank "The real alcoholic" would do? Have a safe journey and tell those lightweights that If 3 of them can't knock off a case a few hours, what's the point?
You are right...it's just sitting now in tepid water...Think I'll bag it now and give it to Edwardo the launch operator...should insure super service..
Frank as he will tell you grew up in the Canal area...I will be heading to Equador shortly...touring south America before sailing to Australia..which is a bit late weather wise..
If I'm lucky may find an English speaking meetng in Panama City.
Kudos for your vigilance & savvy intention to stay away from that first drink, Tomas. Thank you for coming back & sharing this with us. It doesn't matter whether it's a Day, a Week, a Month, a Year, a Decade.. or 2 or 3 or 4.. The result will always be the same: Jails, Institutions or Death, even if it comes as a spiritual death in the first instance as it certainly felt it would be for me when I came near to a slip in my earlier sobriety. Your example shows us here that no matter how long off a drink, it can still talk to us & we can still protect ourselves with action & sharing with another alcoholic.
Thank you for being here & showing us that if you can do it, after so many years, we can do it in our early days. I hope the Newcomers here are heartened by your continued courage & sensibility to do the best for you & stay sober. We all have one day, Today & Today I will be staying sober. Tomorrow will be in the care of too if I keep doing the next right thing. Thanks, Tomas. Your adventures sound Ace! Thanks for swinging by :) Danielle x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
Have a safe journey and tell those lightweights that If 3 of them can't knock off a case a few hours, what's the point? 
