As told to Kelly Sickafoose
When I was younger, everyone seemed to want to party and drink. I had a lot of friends, so I followed suit and started drinking and partying myself. As I got older, I started drinking less and less; however, I learned the hard way that drinking less often doesn’t put you at less risk of getting into trouble.
About a year ago, at 11:45 p.m., I was pulled over and arrested for drinking and driving. This night changed many things in my life. I’d only had a few drinks that night but still blew a .104 on the Breathalyzer. In a blink, my personal life was put on hold from not having money after losing $5,000 in one night on an attorney, court fees, fines, towing, etc.
I’ve always been a big hunter and fisherman. Not having a license made it difficult to do these activities. It really took a toll on my hobbies.
It did the same for my job. I was calling people every morning, asking for a ride to work, and then hoping at the end of the day, someone would agree to take me home. Worrying about being late or absent was an everyday worry, too, because I didn’t want to lose my job.
That night impacted my day-to-day life in expected and unexpected ways. Since then, I have created a five-year plan that gives me the motivation to stay clean because I don’t ever want to experience another night like that one.
Trust me when I say ONE NIGHT is all it takes. Bad decisions can ruin your life.
This story originally appeared in Facing Substance Abuse, a publication of The Facing Project that was organized by Drug Free Adams County in Adams County, Indiana.