So... it is nearing the end of 2024... how have you done, and do you feel any different now vs how you felt on 21 Jan 2024?

I never have consumed alcohol. Never needed nor wanted it. I have liquor in a closet that I use for baking... ;-)... truly.

For me, any pain in life is pain I feel, and there is some joy in that -- not drinking is not just something I do, I can point to its benefits.

I've lost friends and family to alcohol. I've seen it lead to other things that aren't good. It is ironic that so many others outwardly appear unaffected by it. It almost seems a bit unfair.

I have many faults and weaknesses, but it is important to me to live in a way that doesn't cause anyone to stumble into a place out of which they cannot get. I'm learning that this is good, but not best, because I not only need to not do something, I need to do something... something that helps someone else... I need to make a kind of investment to serve someone else. As I said... I have many faults and weaknesses, and I am not good at serving people beyond a small circle... but stepping outside of that, I am certain, would bring me into a larger circle of friends and people who need my help... something I am probably uniquely equipped to give...

Good luck on your journey. Thank you for sharing this part of it.