Member-only story
My UNcivilized Journey
What sobriety is teaching me about being a man
Friday Feels 10/25/19 Traver, thanks for saving my life- seriously dude, I love you.
It’s been 112 days since I’ve last had a drink. I don’t know why I am writing about sobriety on this particular morning. But this morning’s meditation session made me think about recent life changes and how sobriety has given me the power to reconnect with my authentic self.
None of this morning’s meditation session was easy because it was my first time in silence. No apps or music, just me and my thoughts. I have been meditating for months, but this was the first time I tried it alone.
I lit my Palo Santo sticks, a few candles, and waved around the burning stick thanking the universe for giving me the gift of life today. I sat down on my cushions and proceeded to take deep inhales and exhales. In what seemed like seconds, thoughts were running around my head like a rapid tornado. And then flashbacks from childhood, the Marines, and my marriage appeared as I felt chills run up and down my spine.
Among those thoughts, I noticed a common theme that would not go away- a young boy desperately seeking validation and approval.
So here I am, on the path to becoming UNcivilized. And I would like to share that with you.
