“All ten have now passed away of natural causes, having maintain complete sobriety.” — Big Book, Part I: Pioneers of AA

Because of the program, I’ve been sober a little over 36 years — 13,173 days to be exact. Although I drank every kind of booze, did blow for a couple years, spent a year doing acid every other day, took speed occasionally, spent a year obsessed with Quaaludes, and did my fair share of hash, mushrooms, peyote, and other drugs, on a typical day when I wasn’t partying with others, I was smoking about 3 grams of pot (at $5/gram because I dealt it), a $12 pint of Jack Daniels, and a $9 six-pack of beer (Heineken, hey don’t judge).

Let’s calculate that out…

13,173 x 3 = 39,519 grams of pot $197,595

13,173 x 1 = 13,173 pints of JD $158,076

13,173 x 6 = 79,038 bottled of beer $118,557

About half a million bucks saved. Not bad.

And aside from the physical toll I would have put on my body by smoking 87 pounds of pot, drinking 1,646 gallons of Jack, and drinking 7,410 gallons of beer over the last 36 years of my life, the emotional damage and hurt I would have inflicted on others, particularly those who loved me, would have been devastating.

For sure I would have never helped others get sober, become great men, and live happy, productive lives. Additionally, I likely would have never married, had kids, started a successful business, or bought a home, or discovered a relationship with a God of my understanding.

When I pause to think of the misery I’ve been spared, and the misery I’ve spared others from, not to mention all the amazing gifts I’ve received, as a result of staying sober and working this program, it’s easy to understand why ILML!

— JamieQ