i am with you 100%. i was just discussing this very thing with another ds member. sometimes the streets (or bars) steal our dreams. in recovery we have a chance to reclaim them.

Photography has been my thing. It fits in really well with how I see the world differently and more clearly since I got sober and I find it a very spiritual experience.

Both photography and music do it for me, and of course this woebegone stumblebum here is my namesake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRx8sbp4-qo

Life is a journey, enjoy!

I can't believe I got tricked into watching opera! Very nice, thank you.

I agree too! I'm new into recovery and I'm realizing that I always had the desire to do the things that I like to do but the alcohol was more important. And Alcohol took away any ambition I had for anything other than sitting on the couch, watching tv and passing out.

Thanks for this great reminder, I'm adding it to my gratitude list!

music is my new bag and bottle.
i spent a lot of tlme trying to forget things.,
i find making new positive memories has helped me put everything in a whole new perspective.
my drinking stirs up bad memories.it brings them back in High Definition and even though i'm human and i tend to remember things the way i want to, when drunk they always seemed to get me royally pissed off.
nothing more attractive than a blabbering ANGRY drunk.

music is my salvation. i listen to music not to relax or 'BE COOL' but rather to get the wheels turning in my head.
i especially love music that is made by alkies like me who have 'been there and done that.'

Well they say addicts/alcoholics become creative in sobriety because in my experience. Theres 25yrs of pent up emotion bursting to get out .I found i had a talent for poetry. And the last 12mths i've become aware of my surrounding countryside. Quite beautiful it is too x............

Just as a side note, winter before last one of my favorite AA acquaintances died after about 30 years of sobriety. Jules was a regular at the local Wednesday night group and he never made it a secret that he was one of us. When I was new in AA it was very clear to me that Jules and one other oldtimer, a professional photographer whose anonymity I still have to keep, "had" something that the other oldtimers didn't.

Call it a spark or a zest for life or whatever, it was obvious to me that these guys lived on a very different level from other oldtimers who got their jollies barking orders at newcomers and taking their inventories. When these guys shared, they told how they had used the steps to release very specific creative energies from the bondage of self. I decided then that I wanted what they had, and ignoring the Program Puritans, I went for it.

Jules had systemic cancer for years and often could not sleep when he was on high doses of chemo. His next door neighbor, who was a mutual AA friend, told me that he would see the studio lights come on late in the evening and that Jules would paint through the night. He continued to paint until the last week of his life at the age of 84, at the end supported by an assistant.

Here are some of the results of that life:

http://images.google.com/images?q=Jules+Olitski&num=20&hl=en&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title

And here's his NY Times obituary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/05/arts/05olitski.html?_r=3&oref=slogin,The&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Cool stuff there Nemo, not much of an art man, but I went through his gallery, and obituary.

Just found this, and maybe you can see the spark. Jules himself as an old man:

http://www.elpais.com/recorte/20070225elpepiage_3/LCO340/Ies/Jules_Olitski.jpg

That picture was in his gallery, I noticed it. He seems focused. Would have loved to known him. My absolute best friend is 70 years old, and full of grace and wisdom. He is my non AA mentor. He has lung cancer and it will destroy me. His picture is in my photo's.

amazing what we have in our minds when we clear out the evilness of what alcohol clouds it with.I agree we can learn so much from our elderly friends.We have a man in our 1 meeting been coming there since june 13 1976.now that is someone to learn from.

Mr. Nemo, sir:
Are you new to this site? I've only been here for over a month. I have very much enjoyed your posts, and responses to the other members.
I am sorry for your lost, he was a talented artist, I'm sure that is a void that is not replaceable. The wildlife photos on your profile are so beautiful and peaceful, I've saved them, to remember the beauty in life, that you magically captured.
If you are new, welcome, if not I'm glad I noticed your post, thoughts, and profile. Peace be with you sir. Tammie

Hi Tammy,

Yes, I'm new to this site. I found it day before yesterday while doing a Google search for something else. I read several threads and realized that this place is really alive with some very warm people and interesting. I moderate a 12 discussion board on another website that has a different overall agenda, and this is friendlier, busier & better by far.