I can’t tell you how many people have
said to me, “Why didn’t you get sober after your first DUI?” These people were not alcoholics mind you;
they were normal drinkers who didn’t understand why anyone would get a DUI in
the first place, let alone – GASP – a second one! It’s pretty normal to hear people
at an AA meeting that have had five, six, seven, DUIs – commonplace
really. It’s also pretty normal to hear people
that didn’t have any DUIs and they still got sober. I always assumed those people lived in New
York City, or had another bottom that didn’t relate to getting a DUI. I’m grateful I didn’t live in NYC, because it
was my second DUI that got me sober. I
didn’t get sober because I thought I had a problem. I mean, let me explain, I knew I had a
problem – I just didn’t give a crap. I
was fine living my life like a 20 year old tartlet and thought I was totally
cool. I was 37 years old and I was so
not cool. The State of California seemed
to think that my DUI was something that needed to be addressed. So here I was, sitting on my second DUI, and
I was a bit of a hot mess and befuddled with how I ended up here. I was still gallivanting around town like a
collegiate party girl. How did this
happen? It happened because I let it
happen. Feeling very defeated and worn
out, my solution was to start drinking box wine at home and not go out
anymore. This was how I was going to
live my life now. Not once did I think I
should quit drinking.
The first DUI wasn’t that bad really. It was five years prior and I was back home
in suburban Philadelphia visiting family and friends over Christmas. I was out at my local watering hole where
everyone knew my name, my own personal “Cheers”. We were doing shots, drinking like it was
Senior Week - whooping it up - a normal evening among friends. Driving back to my sister’s house I had
apparently swerved and hit a couple trash cans on the side of the road. BUSTED!
I scurried my butt back to California and had my Dad manage this
inconvenience for me as I was living 3,000 miles away and didn’t have time to
address this nuisance. I attended 6
alcohol education classes and forged a certificate to say I did 20 hours of
Community Service in San Diego. Easy Peasey.
Fast forward to five years later where
that fateful night had me out drinking in downtown Carlsbad. I chose my apartment in downtown Carlsbad
because of the location, as it was close to the downtown bar scene; this way I
could drink and walk about town and not worry about driving. Unfortunately for me that evening it was a
balmy 60 degrees and I decided to drive.
Too chilly for this Philly gal.
At 11.30 pm, I pulled hurriedly into the parking lot of Texas Liquor,
after just bumping over a central median.
Whew that was close! Minutes
later, sirens and flashing lights screeched in behind me and barricaded my
vehicle. Struck sober, I soon realized
this wasn’t going to be the highlight of my weekend.
Upon instructions from my lawyer, I was given
the task of getting a court card signed by attending an Alcoholics Anonymous
meeting. He commented to me that since
it was my second DUI, they could really throw the book at me. Okay
sure, I will go to a meeting. But
not tonight, I really need to drink.
It took over six weeks for me to finally
muster enough courage to walk into that AA meeting. I remember sitting in my car cursing myself
to get out and walk into the meeting.
How hard could this be? I only went because I wanted the court to show
some mercy on me. I had no intention of
getting sober. That was never even a
thought.
What I heard at that meeting was Hope. Hope that maybe I could quit drinking. Hope that maybe I won’t have to keep doing
the same stupid shit that I’d been doing for the past 24 years and Hope that
maybe there is another way to live. Sober.
I ran out of that meeting before the
closing Serenity prayer ended and went home where I guzzled down two bottles of
wine. I drank every day for the next week
and during that drunken week I had my moment of clarity. BAM! The green flash of sunset and stark
realization came to me; everything bad
that had ever happened to me in my life was from drinking and drugging. Everything.
I had nothing to show for my life.
I was alone, financially and emotionally starved, barely able to make
ends meet and living a studio apartment.
I didn’t own anything. I had
pawned all I could, while going to payday loan places just to hold me until my next
pay check. I also had a recreational
cocaine problem, did I mention that?
On that seventh day, I ended up at the
Carlsbad Speaker Meeting in Carlsbad where I purchased a Big Book and heard a
women share my story. I figured I should
give this sobriety thing a shot. I had
no other options. I haven’t looked back since and today my life is better than
I ever could have imagined. So glad I
wasn’t living in NYC that evening. That
second DUI saved me, and it got me sober.
