Northwoods Recovery

Nearly a month away from Wisconsin now; time enough to give due consideration to this dramatic change of scene. In some ways my travel venture mirrors the leap I made from drug culture to recovery culture, except Mexico is much more relaxing. Every day here seems like a fiesta.

I’ll be departing shortly before May, my favorite month to be back in the Northwoods. And more than ready to return by then; the Hodag neighbors and friends I left behind are sorely missed. 

But not left behind is my recovery, and it’s ever-accompanying sense of purpose. 

As is common among recovering addicts, clawing my way out of addiction had me from day one feeling there must be an underlying reason, a higher purpose, in surviving the drug addiction that very nearly killed me. But all these years later I still have to wonder; what precisely is that purpose?  

Since arriving here I’ve been giving that, as well as other various issues, serious thought. Spending a few months well away from one’s comfort zone will create opportunities for doing some hard thinking outside the box.    

Quite some time ago, I’d already concluded that besides creating the space to build a sober lifestyle, finding recovery was empowering. But how do I best employ this newfound power? 

I decided the optimum use of recovery’s empowerment would be to somehow empower others; in a way, pay it forward. But again, how to do that? 

Only this morning I realized I’d been doing precisely that all along. 

Friends frequently call whenever they’re feeling an urgent need to vent, knowing they will get an empathetic hearing; I’m always willing to oblige. But until today I never understood that simply listening to them and validating their feelings was subtly empowering acquaintances to act in positive directions. Empathetic listening is a pathway to empower others! 

Like recovery itself, the self-empowerment that comes with recovery is meant to be shared. As is said at every recovery meeting, we can only keep what we have by giving it away. So with empathetic listening, I will gladly continue to share the empowerment gifted to me, while seeking more ways to share all the other gifts presented by recovery. 

I feel good — grateful — to know full well that all I’ve learned, the gifts I’ve received, must and will be shared with those Northwoods companions seeking needed validation, as we do recover.

Do you think you may have a problem with alcohol? Alcoholics Anonymous can help. Call the Hotline at (715)360-4637 or visit the website at www.northwoodsaa.org for questions or to find a meeting in your area.