YOU NEED US! And We Need You!
[Insert picture of NOLAQ, with big white beard and in Uncle Sam garb, pointing at the camera]
Posting a daily promise is the backbone of this website. It always will be. Roll is sacred, as it is what keeps us quit. Post your name, promise to stay clean, keep your word, repeat. What stands just behind that tenement is the support that is offered up on a daily basis. We all know how difficult it can be from time to time to hold that promise with the lurid temptation behind every gas station counter and friends who are still gripped by the poison. However, that promise MUST be kept at all costs. That is where the support kicks in.
Support. We think of it mostly in it’s simplistic form depending on it’s context. However, when we break it down and delve a little deeper, we see that it’s actually quite dynamic. We all know the definition(s):
sup·port [suh-pawrt, -pohrt]
1. to bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.
2. to sustain or withstand (weight, pressure, strain, etc.) without giving way; serve as a prop for.
3. to undergo or endure, especially with patience or submission; tolerate.
4. to sustain (a person, the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.
5. to maintain (a person, family, establishment, institution, etc.) by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.
Look at some of the words mentioned: foundation, sustain, courage, endure, patience, tolerate, family. These are words that we all use on a daily basis when it comes to quitting. These are core values that we preach to each other in times of need. Support is looking to be pretty important in terms of our quitting.
Without the support of your fellow quitters, where would we be? How many of us would keep our quit if there was nothing more than a simple roll call with a name and a number of days quit? No texts, no phone calls, no PM’s, no emails, no words of encouragement, no face to face meetings. This website would be less than a shell of itself. I dare say that support is the slightest shade less important than roll itself. Where making that promise everyday is the backbone, helping out your fellow quitter makes up its central nervous system and guts.
Every new quitter is pounced upon their arrival. We correct any mistakes in their thought process, get them posting roll, and then get them involved. We exchange phone numbers and PM’s. We let them know that they are not alone in this fight. This fight….the war that never ends. We will ALWAYS be addicts and that will never change. So each and every day is a battle that will never end the fight. But each day, we all stand together, side by side, and fight back the beast. As long as we fight, we will never be alone.
The support that I have received in my first 100 days has been over the top. I made a commitment 100 days ago to stay quit forever, but without that support, I don’t know if I would have kept that commitment. This journey has just begun, and another 100 days is a gigantic step, but here in lies the beauty: I only have to quit one day at a time. My brothas and sistas (gangsta for pave :)) are there each and every day with me as I am for them.
That brings me to another point; I NEED YOU. I need you, the new quitter going through withdrawl, the guy who has 50 days and is not sure if the fight is worth it, the guy at 230 days and is in the middle of a bad crave. While I need the support behind me, pushing me forward, I need to support YOU. It is you, my fellow quitters in need, that strengthen my quit. You harden my quit that diamonds get jealous. Three earthquakes and a volcano couldn’t wreck my quit (sorry coach steve) on those days when you give me the opportunity to help you through a trying day.
If you are reading this speech, take this away from it: Do more than post roll. Send a thank you to someone who took a few extra moments out of their day to congratulate you on making it one day, 10 days, a month, 100 days, or a year. Spend some time in the introduction section and welcome in brand new quitters just as so many did for you. Single out a couple of new quitters and exchange numbers with them. Keep tabs on them. Above all, make it known that you are willing to help people who need it. Sometimes just knowing that someone is there if needed is support enough.
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I would like to thank all of my July quit brothers. That is what we are, bothers (and a sister) WT – you kept me in line, making sure I didn’t get down when people I reached for didn’t reach back. Kubrick– maintaining the spreadsheet and pointing out the folks that were slacking. buddymac For coming back after caving and making me realize what this site was all about by getting hammered from 8 different sides :). You are a like a brother to me. Steve8691– Thank you for bumpi…er….thank you for your humility and gentle nudges of support so early in my quit. DAG– You helped. Somehow. cmark– Not too many quitters I admire more Mark…roam– One awesome dude and someone who is gonna do great things here. cleanfuel– your intensity fired me up many a slow morning. rleap– for coming back! whitey / allpuck / smith / yote / rupert / liberdave / ktharp / game4 / chitown / L3 / loppy / burley / tony– all of you guys influenced me and my quit and I didn’t want to leave you guys out. All of you need your just do. July guys who quit your quit– your failure and weakness only sparked more of my motivation.
Everyone else…I can’t name all of you, but i’m sure gonna try. For those I neglected, I promise it wasn’t intentional. I’m gonna be kicking myself after I submit this because I know that about 4 people will come to mind. Your PM will come soon 🙂
I would love to explain how each and everyone of you helped me out but there isn’t enough time in the day and no one wants to read all of that but me. 30yr, NOLAQ, woos, 30isenuff, bruce, tex, tarp, timeless, gmann, cbird, mthomas, lhemls, zam, grizzkill, grizz25, coach steve, pave, j2b, michelle, banjoe19, bigsky, 2mch2lv, CJorrico, CNC, Diesel, Fosterchild, vadge, nate, wiking, scowick, miles, sioux and countless others – Either directly or indirectly, you have made me the quitter I am. Keep doing what you are doing and continue to influence the lives of so many.
These folks stick out more than most:
dipp – one of the first to reach out to me and make me learn what accountability is
mcarmo – pure inspiration, thank you my friend
klark – uber-quitter, boils things down for me
FlaLuke and Radman – nothing like putting a face to a name. Thank you for your time gentlemen
aglawyer – our texting “litigation” should be hanging, framed, on my walls. Thank you for your positive outlook.
LOOT – you can’t please everyone, but you please me immensely ^_^. Thank you for your motivation.
NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Wedge
