Sober Is Power

At this very moment, all across the globe, men and women are walking out on their families for drugs and alcohol. Mothers and fathers have been abandoning their kids for dope since the beginning of dope. Dopes on dope leaving to score dope from dopes. I used to be that foolish dope.

It’s been a long day, and I’ve been home from work just long enough to shower, change clothes, feed the dogs, and do some online bill paying. Like most days, I’m in an incredible amount of pain.

I have a history of pain, pain pills, and addiction to pain pills. As a recovering addict, narcotics are permanently off the table. My addiction is the first thing discussed when I meet a new doctor or dentist. I can remember when drugs were the only reason I’d visit a doctor’s office or emergency room. Addressing a medical issue either by chance or the will of God would be considered . . . well . . . secondary gain compared to a bottle of much needed narcotic pain medication.

Doctor shopping is illegal, of course. So is buying and selling pain pills, buying pills from an offshore pharmacy, and smuggling pills in from Mexico.

So much has changed since I returned to the land of the living. I wouldn’t trade my pain for a single minute of relapse. A sober mind is a powerful mind.

Joseph Shanklin

April 8, 2022