From my first meeting of AA, I haven't had a drop of alcohol.
Leslie Kahler
Instagram: @owman56
Recovery Date: 07/30/1981
Give us a little background information. Where are you from or grew up? What do you do for a living? What are your passions?
I was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, and we moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was 8 months old. I am now retired and living in Kansas City, Kansas. I enjoy bowling and watching NASCAR racing.
Describe your experience with addiction:
My earliest memory was getting sips of alcohol from my parents when I was in elementary school. Never felt that I fit in with others. But when I got to high school, I started drinking, and it made me feel more comfortable around classmates. That was something that followed my life after graduation, and I started drinking in bars almost every night. Eventually, it became every night. Blackout drinking most of the time, but still didn’t stop me.
When did you realize your life had become unmanageable?
I look back and know I had no control over the amount of alcohol I consumed for a few years, and that just kept spiraling downward very quickly. The only thing that made me stop drinking was my wife telling me that if I didn’t stop, she was going to leave me because she didn’t want to put any of our kids through that. I remember thinking that she was right and that if I didn’t stop, I’d probably not live to see my 30th birthday. I was 25.
What did your recovery look like?
Early recovery was the worst part for me. I shook so bad that I could only drink half a cup of coffee or water, or I’d spill it everywhere. That lasted for about two weeks. From my first meeting of AA, I haven't had a drop of alcohol. And thankfully, none of my three kids have ever seen me drinking or drunk. Extremely grateful for that.
How are you doing these days?
I’m feeling a lot better now and can’t imagine why I’d want to go back to that poison. I’ve had some struggles along the way, losing parents and my wife, but I didn’t have to take a drop of alcohol to get through them.
What do you do to maintain your recovery?
I still attend in-person AA meetings and also attend several online meetings with other communities daily. My reminder is something from the Big Book; what we really have is a daily reprieve contingent upon our spiritual condition.
What are you grateful for?
Funny, but I am grateful for that poison because I wouldn’t have known how great life is today without it. I have a lot of friends who are genuine and caring about each other.
Any goals or aspirations you'd like to share?
I just want to continue on sobriety one day at a time. Best decision I ever made.
Any advice you would give to newly sober folks?
Don’t quit before the miracle happens! 🙏🏻😊