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Football is back, and man, I gotta say, I was very much looking forward to it this year.
I’ve had a topsy-turvy relationship with the sport over the years. I’m not even talking about the dangers of the sport itself—I certainly have days where I see a bunch of ugly injuries, or terrible behavior by people in the league, and I wonder why I am supporting that kind of sport with my eyeballs and dollars.
That’s all legit. I have gone back and forth on the sport and what it means to watch it and enjoy it. I think I’ve gotten to a place where I am okay with the sport itself.
I’m more interested right now in the idea of something that changes the way that I feel, and my relationship with that. Because football changes the way I feel. I like it. I look forward to it. I record games and watch them later. If I am having a bad day and there is a good game on TV that night, I often feel a little better. If it’s a fine day but a little boring, a good upcoming game perks me up a bit.
Now that might not sound like a big deal, because a good Monday Night Football game isn’t exactly the same as reaching for vodka and heroin. Watching too much football isn’t going to cause me to overdose on my bathroom floor.
But I do need to keep an eye on it. That’s my main point, and I have two different thoughts in my head. One is that recreational stuff like football or movies or playing tennis or board games can be a beautiful thing. I mean, I got sober to enjoy my time on this planet, so I’m okay with looking forward to things that help me escape a bit.
However, the other thought is that I do need to make sure my hobbies and interests don’t get out of control. I’ve definitely had periods where I do think it crossed over from a welcome fun release into something that could potentially be problematic.
For instance, I have participated in some gambling years ago, and some fantasy football contests that are borderline gambling, and I have to say, it’s not for me. Other people might be able to do it without any issues. But I avoid anything close to gambling because it amps up the stakes and I can feel it starting to stoke my addictive side, with potential serious consequences. It’s just not worth jeopardizing my sobriety because of betting on some football games.
Another example is that I occasionally blow off meetings or skip stuff with my family because I am obsessed with watching a football game. It doesn’t happen too much any more. But I still occasionally catch myself at a kid’s event, checking updates on my phone every 15 seconds. That’s not great, either.
But overall, I’ve settled into a football schedule that I am comfortable with and works with my other life obligations. I watch a ton of TV, probably more than 95 percent of people in this country. But it’s something I very much enjoy, and I’ve figured out a schedule where it doesn’t really impact anything.
And so my feelings as of September 2022 are that if you got sober and have stayed sober, you deserve to have things you love… and yes, maybe sometimes that thing runs from 1:05 pm till 12:05 am every single Sunday in the fall.
This newsletter is a place of joy and laughter about the deadly serious business of sobriety. So, as I will often do, let me close with a joke:
BUMPER STICKER SEEN OUTSIDE AN AA MEETING
"There's no town drunk here—we all take turns."
(Credit: AA Grapevine, November 2008, by Deanna S. of Canton, Georgia)
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