Yeah yeah I know, Stan already wrote an anniversary post. Guess what though… we are “The Grateful Nuts.” Notice the “s” there at the end? Yup, that “s” makes it plural. Now, I don’t know which of us is the left nut or the right nut, but I’d like to think that we’re equally important to the overall function of this whole operation of sober blogging.
Oh, and by the way, if you’re having a hard time not laughing at all the euphemisms, we can probably be friends. If you’re annoyed at all the juvenile allusions to the male anatomy here, well… we can probably still be friends we just won’t laugh together as often as I would like to. Regardless, Stan and I have been going at it (writing for the blog) for a little over 52 weeks now. If you’ve been with us since the beginning, thank you, and, if you’re new around here, welcome! Let’s get to it, These Grateful Nuts: A Year of Sober Blogging.
I won’t bother rehashing what Stan has already covered in his anniversary post, I’d say he did a pretty good job all on his own. I would however like to add my own two cents on this conversation, so I think I’ll go ahead and do just that.
It’s no secret by now that we’re celebrating our one year anniversary as The Grateful Nuts. It’s honestly pretty exciting stuff to us. Had you asked me a year ago where I thought we’d be with this whole sober blogging thing I honestly don’t know what I would have told you. I mean we planned on committing to this thing for the long haul, but ya’ll know just as well as us that sh!t happens. Man, oh man, has sh!t happened over the past year, but with minimal bloodshed, some serious sweat, and plenty of tears here we are a year later, still kickin’.
To be entirely honest, I didn’t really know what to expect when we first started. Let’s just say I’m not exactly the optimistic one in this relationship, so despite hoping against hope that it would go well (whatever that means), I was pretty sure this whole sober blogging thing would equate to nothing more than us screaming into the void and ultimately end up being a colossal waste of time.
As an egomaniac with an inferiority complex, sometimes it’s hard to be humble, but I’ll do my best here. At a year in, I’ve concluded that this has in fact not been a waste of time at all. I don’t know that you all have received any experience, strength, and hope from our shenanigans, but I do know that I have reconnected with myself in ways that I never could have imagined.
Believe it or not, there’s a lot of self-reflection, soul-searching, and inventory-taking that goes into writing these posts each week. At this point, I’m not even sure if what I write is for you guys or myself, I’d like to think it’s a little bit of both. If that’s the case, perhaps that’s why I keep writing and you all keep reading. In any case, all the long days, late nights, and multi-tasking has been well worth it thus far.
One of the neatest things about this adventure has been all the folks we’ve met along the way. From guest writers like Annie in Illinois, Peter in Colorado, and Kate in the United Kingdom, to our social media friends located in Egypt, Brazil, Australia, and all around the globe we’ve had the opportunity to connect with recovering people far and wide. We’ve been interviewed by Jacksonville Voyage Magazine and had the chance to share our origin story with the Sober Library. To meet up with, listen to, and share this recovery journey with others who are on this path has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.
What I knew going in was that the opposite of addiction is connection, I was not prepared for just how much I would learn from others. To know that I’m not alone with some of the big feelings, complicated emotions, and blurry thoughts is one thing, but to truly understand that there are others who share the same struggle brings a whole new meaning to sobriety being a “WE thing, and not a me thing”.
You all have allowed me to be vulnerable, messy, silly, and serious from week to week. Sure it’s easier from behind a keyboard rather than face to face, but somehow I feel like you guys are with me with every word I type.
Whether you’re a DIY-er, a 12-stepper, or anything in between, I have gained something valuable from each and every one of you who has taken a moment to read a post, share a link, or comment to share your own experiences. Whether you, like Stan are navigating how to stay dry in the deep end with a spouse who still drinks, wondering if Mocktails or the marijuana maintenance plan are for you, or like me and living out a childhood dream of dining overseas in an Irish pub (sans the alcohol), it is my hope that in exchange, we have given back at least half of the inspiration, encouragement, and hope you all have brought to us.
So if nothing else, I would simply like to extend a sincere and gratitude-filled thank you. Thank you for listening to our struggles, laughing at f*ck-ups, and celebrating our wins with us. We may be just a pair of nuts, but gosh are we grateful!
Thanks for reading!
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