An End to the Alibis

Compared to other stories I've heard, my drinking history seems quite ordinary, which can't be said of my recovery. In order to continue drinking, I had to learn the unique skills necessary to a practicing alcoholic--skills such as being a phony, a cunning liar, and a clever thief. I learned well. Spending about a year of my life in treatment programs, totaling a few cars, being divorced, fired, sued, jailed, and made to suffer other indignities struck me as just an extended run of bad luck.