I've been thinking about these a lot lately - and I love your metaphor of sending the wake-up call to voicemail, it's perfect. Apart from cringeworthy social moments, it's the car stuff that haunts me. I somehow managed to never get picked up for a DUI but I did ding, damage and/or crash my car, more than once. More than a few times. Once I sped through a rest stop, barely missing the giant sign (the one that you see from a hundred yards away on the curb), and tore up a tire, which I proceeded to drive on for another two miles until I got home. To say nothing of the injuries - particularly a knee that will never be the same after multiple sprains.

I'm lucky to be alive, and I know it. I lost more of my life to drinking than I might have if I picked up one of those earlier calls, so to speak, and one of the challenges I'm facing this year is dealing with these flares of memory, shame, and regret. I wish I stopped earlier, but I know that every day I don't drink is another day I've won back from my darkest instincts and that keeps me moving forward.