The information revolution was founded on the shoulders of the printing press, which Johann Gutenberg invented. A study conducted by Google Books puts the number of manuscripts published since the innovation in AD 1440 at just under 130 million. The creation of the press landed many a monk and scribe toward the unemployment line.
Today, the popularity of audiobooks and straight-to-digital productions is limiting print growth. This shift has forced the downsizing and closure of many print plants.
Though delivery has changed, the fact is that as the population grows, there will be more stories to be told. People initiate and share plots at an extraordinary pace through print and digital means.
Now, adding to the mix the ever-developing area of artificial intelligence (AI), we can see a shift in story-telling that is unimaginable to today’s brain. We fear this shift will deter the sharing of exclusive human experiences that drive value and relatability.
This writing and our other blogs hopes to show the universe that there is hope for the hurt and that a life of abundance is available for those in recovery. The aim is to connect our pasts with others’ futures. The byproduct is that the effort is cathartic in that it ends up helping us.
We start with a blank slate. Sobriety allows us the rare chance to direct a new narrative and craft a story of our deepest desire, one so radically different from what we have been telling that it will attract the reader or listener to move in the same direction.
The hook to a book is found in its credibility and its believability. No truth, no point. If we look at the author sideways, we put no credence in their straightforward message.
A tale always begins with a single letter. It must start somewhere, as words are not formed without letters. Sentences require words that form paragraphs, pages, and ultimately publication-ready pieces.
Likewise, the sobriety story requires a start, which is usually the decision to surrender to the foe and commit to abstinence. We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol. This epiphany, this moment of awareness, connected us to the clear canvas mentioned above.
Breaking our life sets into 24-hour increments allows chunks to be tackled, processed, and retold in digestible bites. Successes stack and form the chronicle that proves to us and others that one rarely fails if following a proven path of recovery.
Pages of real-life experience of some document but a fragment of possibility as each individual has potential unique to their available resources. The fact is that no two stories are identical. The beauty is that we are not limited to the ceilings of others. Our storyline can take on a shape based on what we have learned from others and what takes form basis our beliefs and behaviors.
The point is to begin to write. Start with a letter. Form a word. Create a sentence. Pen a paragraph. Pile those paragraphs onto a page. Have a point and boldly publish it to a population that needs hope and a direction they can build on.
Not everybody can relate to or find value in our writings; we are okay with that. Our purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety, so we tell our stories.
Will you tell yours?
Thoughts and ideas for this blog post were taken and built upon from sober.coffee podcast #50 titled “Finally - I Quit Drinking (Whew) - Now What?“ … The session dropped on 3/16/2022. Click here to hear the podcast.
Photo by Bank Phrom on Unsplash
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Alcoholics Anonymous and AA are registered trademarks of Alcoholics World Service. Inc. References to AA, the 12 steps, and 12 traditions does not mean that AA has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication nor that AA agrees with the views expressed herein. This publication is intended to support personal growth and should not be considered a substitute for healthcare professionals' advice. The author’s advice and viewpoints are their own.
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