I guess the easiest place to start is with who I am. I’m an alcoholic and an addict, and today I’m three days sober. My sobriety date is August 21, 2026. That’s obviously not all I am. I’m a son, a brother, a friend. I’m gay. I have a career and a life that, from the outside, can look pretty normal and put together. Behind closed doors, I’ve been struggling for a long time.
That’s where after the noise comes from. The noise is drinking, drugs, going out, anxiety, shame, bad decisions, apologies and the constant chaos inside my own head. I’ve spent a lot of time either running toward something or trying to escape something. I’m starting to wonder what my life could look like without all of that noise.
Today is Day 3. I’m exhausted, emotional and still hurting from what brought me here. But today I went to a meeting. I listened. I prayed. I came home and slept. I’m trying to be a little kinder to myself and accept that maybe that’s enough for today.
I’ve wanted to start a blog since I was a kid, so this is it. I don’t want this to only be about addiction. I want it to be about recovery, family, being gay, getting older, finding new hobbies, figuring out what actually makes me happy and all the ordinary stuff in between.
I don’t know what happens next. But I’m sober today, I’m here, and I guess that’s where this starts.
after the noise 