Perhaps the pandemic has given me an unexpected gift: I have an excuse not to go out drinking with friends. At any other point in my life I was unable/lacked the willpower to say no to social situations. I think it stems from my insecurities in school, when I was painfully shy and never invited… Continue reading Three and a Half Weeks Sober: Strong yet Scared
Author: Secondhand Thoughts
A 30-something teacher trying to be an adult in Vancouver, Canada.
Comforts and Discomforts in the New Year
Goodbye, dumpster fire! Goodbye, and don't come back! Many people are saying a hearty "Fuck Off" to 2020 in the hopes that 2021 will be marginally better. I don't need to list all of the terrible things that happened in what was supposed to be a shiny start of a new decade, but it jolted… Continue reading Comforts and Discomforts in the New Year
Happiness is not Coming from Inside the Bottle
For two months at the start of the pandemic, I stopped drinking. I did it because I felt like I could easily get really out of control, really fast, drinking by myself in my apartment. For those two months I read blogs about sobriety, I listened to podcasts, and I read books about addiction in… Continue reading Happiness is not Coming from Inside the Bottle
Putting my Wallet Back in My Pocket
I'm not proud to admit that in the past few weeks my spending has rocketed to heights not seen since high school, when I worked at McDonald's and had absolutely no bills - mall shopping became the norm. It seems to have again now. All my sensible spending and thrifting has been wiped out by… Continue reading Putting my Wallet Back in My Pocket
Getting Back in the Saddle after the Barn Has Burned Down
Holy roasting dumpster fire, Batman! What a shit show the last few months have been. I don't know about you guys, but I honestly don't know how I continue to go through some days without screaming into a pillow. We're all aware of what's going on, and yet each day something else comes up that… Continue reading Getting Back in the Saddle after the Barn Has Burned Down
Being in Limbo is a Curse
Lately most have us have been stuck in a form of limbo: when will we get to go back to work? When will things return to normal? Am I allowed to leave the house? Will I get shamed for going for a walk? (Seriously, the shaming needs to stop - here in BC we're encouraged… Continue reading Being in Limbo is a Curse
Puzzles are my New Best Friends
Man, I'm beginning to hate being on a computer. I used to love sitting down to it in the morning, leaving it for the day, and then spending some quality time on it in the evenings. Now, however, I am forced to be on it constantly, all day every day, as I teach online and… Continue reading Puzzles are my New Best Friends
Screw Perfect, Make Something Ugly
Most of us have an absolutely insane amount of spare time and energy right now. How do we channel that? Yesterday I saw my first shouting match between people who were out walking, one of whom didn't think the other was giving them enough space. Both of them had valid points, but surely descending into… Continue reading Screw Perfect, Make Something Ugly
What Have You Noticed?
I've lost count of the number of days I've been staying in. I guess it's around four weeks or so. Except for my daily walks, which I take really early in the morning and later in the evening when fewer people are out, I've been staying in (groceries are included in my walking times). I'd… Continue reading What Have You Noticed?
Three Days Can Feel Like a Lifetime
In my last post I detailed a few reasons why I needed to choose the path to sobriety rather than continue down the twisted, regret-fuelled (yet many times very pleasurable) road of drinking alcohol. I downloaded an app that would allow me to track my sober days - it's basically a calendar that is green… Continue reading Three Days Can Feel Like a Lifetime
Secondhand Thoughts 