I got sober in Phuket, Thailand, where I used to live, six weeks

before my belly button birthday. My birthday is the day before my

younger daughter’s birthday. At the time, the people my then wife

and I hung out with had a habit of having quite boozy birthday

parties, for children and adults alike. We had a plan to celebrate my

daughter’s birthday by inviting the usual crowd over. I was newly

sober and was not too fussed with having a party and I certainly

didn’t want to have a drunken affair. In fact, I was not bothered

with having any alcohol available for guests. I had invited my AA

sponsor to the party, as had been suggested, just to be safe.

However, my wife had other plans.

Shortly before the first guests were due to arrive, she asked me to

go and get some drinks. So, as the dust was still settling on the

‘drink’ that lead me to AA,  I got in the truck and went off to get

supplies. We ended up getting many cases of beer and other drinks.

When I got home, there was my sponsor sitting outside my

driveway on his motorbike, only to witness me opening the back of

my truck to unload case after case of grog! At the time I felt so

embarrassed – I wanted to explain that it was not for me.

Looking back on it now, I find this so funny!