When I was a kid, I was addicted to riding the merry-go-round at my local amusement park. I would go to the park every Sunday with my grandfather and he would buy me a booklet of tickets to use as I pleased. There was a roller coaster, teacups, handcars, spinning tops, a boat ride and the carousel. But the only thing I would ride was the carousel. I had my favorite horse and I would get on and I would ride in circles for hours without taking a break or getting off. Life’s addictions are simple when you were a kid. And then you grow up.

I had too many grown up addictions to list. I was in and out of rehab like it had a revolving door and I was a generally obnoxious and cocky bastard. Then I was in a car accident that forever changed my life and ended that of a good friend of mine. I was at the wheel when I shouldn’t have been and I was taking my buddy home from the bar. I don’t remember the accident but I somehow hit the leg of a concrete overpass and that was all she wrote. I spend a month in the hospital and would have won a sick and twisted championship medal for the binge I went on when I got out.

My story is long but one thing lead to another and I finally got the help that I needed to get myself sober. What I learned is we all need to learn from our past, not dwell on it. Recovery is about focusing on today and tomorrow not yesterday and last week. You can not be cured, you can be sober. Each moment leading to the next, and you can have your life back.

Now I spend my days talking to youth groups, PTA moms, addicts and anyone who will listen about the sobering figures in alcohol related deaths in the United States. Forty one percent of all fatalities are automobile related and that figure jumps to sixty one percent if you include boat related accidents. The phrase drinking and driving don’t mix is corny but appropriate. So please, if you’re reading this you probably know you need help and realizing this is the first step toward getting better. Take that first step and get off the merry-go-round before it’s too late for you like it was for my best friend Johnny.