Sobriety Chips

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Sobriety Chips

Dave Harm · Senior Member

Congratulations on 9 months!!!

bikerbill · MIP Old Timer

there's a difference between chips and medallions then? I thought that all the tokens were called chips, least that's what we tend to do over here.

I've never seen a chip for a day, week etc, only ever seen the 1 year, 5 year and so on.

I did get a bronze metal chip at one year and was told when you fancy a drink, put this in your mouth and when it dissolves, go for a beer. (ha ha).

I was pleased to pass the chip on to someone else when they hit one year. (we tend to do that over here, pass them on, maybe we're too tight to keep buying new ones, but I like it as to me it symbolises the practice of passing it on.)

toni baloney · Senior Member

Hi Mark,

Your Post was very moving!

and a big fat Congratulations on 9 months, you have been waiting, and the day has come.

We are all so very different, but with my past relapse history, I had so many 30 days white chips, ,would save them, then just start finding them around my house, there must have been about one hundred of them. when I was in AA for keeps, this time with the help of my Higher Power, still I was really scared of picking up a 30 day chip, so I would pass on picking one up. I was too afraid that it might send me a signal that it was ok to go out again.

But I did keep and save my 1st year Chip. and the ones that come on our Birthdays.

Great work!!

Toni

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Hi Mark,

Yes I get my chips out and play with them (put in order lol). I keep them in the nifty cheese jar from the Four Seasons Hotel. I don't know where I got that thing because I've never stayed there. But when I was in Vegas, Reno (Tahoe) I went around to most of the casinos and collected $1 dollar poker chips. I didn't try for any number, but the other day when I counted there were exactly 20 of them. And in 22 days I'll have twenty years worth of consequitive coins. I keep all of them in this jar , the poker chips on the bottom and I was thinking that there were symbolic of if I pick up a drink I'll be gambling with my sobriety. I've also been collecting some AA coins, the ones with the AA on back. They discontinued those right after I came in about '90. The NY office thought that objects with AA on them were dilluting the message. I think they went to far, but they had to draw the line somewhere. Personally I could do without the bumper stickers, but I digress.

Jane05 · MIP Old Timer

Congratulations on 9 months!!!

I've got my rainbow in a little dish on my dresser and once in a while I'm drawn to them. For me it is a time of reflection of what I don't want to have to go through again, and gratitude for where AA and my H.P. have taken me.

Great share!

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Awesome post, Pink!! (And by the way, I still have not been able to keep up on my housework each week!!! LOL..... is there a 12 Step program for staying organized????)

Sadly enough, I have collected all too many chips, and not because I have decades of sobriety either. I had to keep coming back, and then get back up and come back, and then fall down again, and so on and so on. It was awful, going through that white-chip phase over and over again. I hated myself, even in sobriety, and thus, could find no reason to try to survive and stay alive. Alcoholism had taken away my survival instinct. But God's Grace is an amazing and all-powerful force in my life. I am so glad I found Him in AA.

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Dean-o, they have some cool ones here at Intergroup in Akron, some with Dr. Bob and Bill's face on them. I like the heavy colored ones, brass, with the glass coating on them.... and yes, I now digress...... :o)

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

It was not long into AA when I heard the term "1 white chip wonder." Personally, I am grateful there hasn't been a second white chip, but I know it could be right there for me if I don't stay vigilant. An important thing I wanted to share is that, of course, I have seen people pick up several white chips again and again and struggle through their journey differently. Some of you posted you picked up several white chips and 30 day ones. The point is, we ALL tried to stop drinking in our own way countless times and failed. When people call themselves "relapsers" and get down on picking up white chips again...I remind them that all of us are relapsers, including me. I relapsed time and time again. The last time was with 4 months dry and when I started again it was a billion times worse than where I left off. So...again, no different from my fellows. To anyone who has picked up more than 1, I credit you with having the strength to come back. If anyone is struggling with the back and forth, shed the term "relapser" and just go with alcoholic, because that's what I am and that's what we all are. No different and trying to stay sober a day at a time.

Mark

toni baloney · Senior Member

Hi Mark,

Could not resist, I know you were serious, but I too get so tired of telling others that I was a relapser for 10 years, and think maybe I might take a vacation from that word.

"30 Day Wonder" does have a better sound, right, anything that is a wonder has a much better "sound" to it. Just being silly,

It just does my heart good to see that you have continued with this Process,
feel a commitment from you that I lacked. I am just grateful that those "R" days are behind me, of course I will need my Higher Power to keep that word in my past.

Hugs, and Happy 4th

Toni

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Happy 9 months of Independence from Alcohol Pink, and Happy Independence Day for all of us too!!

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Thanks Joni...I appreciate the responses here. I am awestruck by the notion of having 20 actual medallions in a jar to look at. My second response here was really just meant to anyone still struggling. I'm not in a position to preach at anyone...or even really make strong suggestions. Just to encourage. Pinkchip = newcomer and that's just fine. I have gained an interest in my fellows though... And it's different from the interest in fellows that I discovered I had in adolescence muahahah.

Sobrietyspell · MIP Old Timer

Congratulations on 9mths 1Day@aTime, Mark. I'm loving our synchronicity. I loved that keyring too. I got my first few from NA really as I'd go to a weekly women's meeting there & they'd help me celebrate too. I didn't know the two fellowships were completely separate in my early days so I'd go to the mixed NA on my special days just to get a keyring lol Well, I'm clean too, right! They didn't mind my cheek lol Keep on keeping on & don't be shy about having an Ace message, Mark. You are a walking, talking, wonderful example of A.A. in action. With another 2yrs on you.. Let me tell you just how much better it gets.. All those promises come true. All of them :) Godbless & Happy Sober Day, Danielle x

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

wow Danielle, I didn't know that you also attended NA, so did I. smile

barisax · Senior Member

I cleaned out my truck before trading it in, and found my 5-year coin. It had been in the bottom of the cup holder and was almost unrecognizable. One of those bronze coins... it was all black and green and corroded and... well, ate up.

I got a pretty good laugh out of it because "ate up" pretty well describes me during that time between year 5 and 6 when I carried that coin.

Barisax