Wednesday 21 October 2015

And there but for the Grace of God......

It's 30 years since Back to the Future was made. Or, today is the date that they went to in the Future. Or something like that. Anyway, I remember the movie, and I am horrified if it was 30 years ago that it came out, because that makes me.....as old as dirt.

It's been a ten days since I blogged, and it's been a strange time. Firstly, like many of us, Sober Mummy preoccupies a lot of my thoughts....and positive vibes being sent over constantly, SM.

It's also been a busy time in the news, Canada has just got a brand new Prime Minister, and (I know this sounds shallow) but he is at least easy on the eyes, so when he does start spouting crap (as they all inevitably do) I can at least tune it out, and focus on his boyish good looks.

I didn't vote. Don't howl and shriek at me....I can't. I am an illegal alien. Well, not exactly, I'm a Permanent Resident, not a citizen, so I get to pay whatever taxes are imposed on us all, but I don't get a say in whether they are used to bolster rich people's pensions, save the environment, or do endless research on whether literacy improves your chances for employment ( I shit you not, that's an actual piece of research).

In among all the polls and fake sincerity, a news story caught my attention from Washington State I believe.

A young lady (too young to remember Back to the Future), had been drinking heavily in a bar, and then announced that she was going to drive home drunk!
A lamentable situation, sadly not unique.....except that she announced it to the Whole World - or at least 57 other people, via live online streaming from her smarty pants phone.( "Periscope" is the latest and greatest app, that allows us, not just to photograph what we are eating for lunch, we can actually invite people to watch us eat it.....LIVE)

Unfortunately for this lady (or fortunately, if you happened to be driving near her in Washington State), her announcement caught the attention of a police officer, who immediately dropped his donut, tracked her down and arrested her.

She had continued her live streaming, obviously completely blitzed, as she drove away from the bar. 

"Oh my goodness" said the News Anchor "Just one bad decision after another and another", as she pursed her lips and shook her head disapprovingly (Fox News, clearly).

And what was my first thought?

Thank God I had no idea about Periscope when I was drinking.

Of course I'm not condoning drunk driving. Did I drive drunk? Not as blitzed as this young lady, but definitely there were times when I must have been over the limit.

Did I say or do other stupid things? Hell yes. The type of things that I wake up in the middle of the night, and have to repeat to myself 'just think happy thoughts" to stop me reliving each cringe worthy, sweat inducing, nightmarish event.

But I toss and turn in my own misery.........the only tortuous replay button is in my own mind.

Not like this lady........

If I hadn't have got sober already, this story may have prompted me. I hope it made her think too. Not because I am as sanctimonious as the news people - but just because I know that it's not going to get any better........


If only life was exactly how Michael J Fox and Doc Brown discovered.

I still would have got sober....to make sure I could balance on the hoverboard !!

WB xx




9 comments:

  1. Thanks WB! Am hoping to meet you when you come over to the UK. I may be rocking a blonde wig by then ;-) SM x

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  2. It's kind of ironic, the driving drunk thing. How we all look in condemnation at someone who manages to kill a young family when drunk, how we think they should have the book thrown at them, yet. almost all of us admit having done it. Everyone in that scenario is a victim of alcohol, not just the ones that are killed but the killer also. I'm sure he told himself that he was okay to drive, just like we all have.
    I think facebook should get some credit for my sobriety, just a few pictures posted on there of fun and frolic Kary May convinced me it was time to hang up my drunken ballet shoes. Still shots were bad enough, I couldn't imagine the cringes brought about by moving pictures. Ouch!

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  3. Oh, the cringing. Glad that's gone.
    I voted. Not got him. But I'm going to be hopeful he doesn't destroy the economy.
    Fingers crossed.

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  4. I think your new Prime minister is a cutie, too!
    I saw that news story, and I had no idea what periscope was either.
    Yikes!
    I am thrilled I can keep up with FB!
    But I have driven very drunk before. It was one of the reasons I decided to quit, as one time I had a blackout while driving.
    Everyday I am thankful I didn't hurt myself, or other people.
    So very thankful.
    I hope she gets help too.
    xo
    Wendy

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  5. You don't need money, you don't need fame!! LOVE that movie. Thanks for taking me back to The Day, where I saw that movie in 1985 in the theatre with my first boyfriend and we were all drinking DISGUSTING WINE COOLERS (eweeeeee) and rolling th empty ones down the sloped theatre floor. Memories, of the coolers in my mind....if I only I knew what those coolers would do to me 30 YEARS LATER.
    Anyhoo, I didn't hear about the unfortunate drunk broadcast but I'm going to look it up right now:)

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    1. Here's the link - sorry, got it wrong, it was in Florida. Still. http://globalnews.ca/news/2273349/woman-broadcasts-herself-driving-home-drunk-on-periscope/

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  6. It is a shame you are unable to vote, well maybe you like it that way, I don't know. But I love being able to vote and put my say in the country. I think it's important. You can at least spread your opinion at your leisure, they can't stop you from that.

    Kim Hunter @ KHunterLaw

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  7. I am so proud of you for getting sober. I have never had an alcohol issue but from reading your posts, I know that it can be very difficult to overcome. I am sorry that you have had some trials over the past few days but stay strong, and you will continue to remain sober, and live a wonderful life.

    Stephanie Waters @ Chastaine Law

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  8. I think if we all look back on our own lives we find things we’re not proud of. I stopped looking in the rear view mirror because I wanted to focus on moving forward and just being better than yesterday. I’m glad the cop got there fast because there could have been another fatality on the road as a result.

    Eliseo Weinstein @ JR's Bail Bonds

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