By: Mike Murphy, Manager of Alumni Services

Living in Florida, we know every year when Hurricane season arrives that we are playing roulette with Mother Nature. It’s not necessarily a matter of IF as much as it is HOW BAD. Admittedly, I am one of those Floridian lifers who scoff at anything less than a Cat3. Which is pretty reckless considering what a Cat1 or 2 can do to a neighborhood. Hell, I still remember driving around South Florida with my neighbors and seeing the absolute devastation that Hurricane Andrew caused to part of Miami-Dade. Yet still, every year…. We mock it. Even more so if you’ve got a problem with the bottle. 

Like a lot of alcoholics and addicts, I was always looking for an excuse to party. And if you’re from Florida, you are probably no stranger to a good old-fashioned Hurricane Party. People will gather at a friend’s house and ride the storm out with copious (some might say dangerous and irresponsible) amounts of alcohol and maybe some cans of Chef Boyardee. The ravioli was my preferred choice of Cane Soup Du Jour. And this is a statewide tradition. Getting blackout drunk and eating canned food all while hoping your roof stays on. 

It is pure insanity. At any moment your life can be literally flipped upside down and you wouldn’t be of a sound mind to help others, let alone yourself. You are putting yourself directly in the path of danger and not only celebrating it but taunting it. Kind of like Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump when he is challenging God during the hurricane. Only that was a movie character. Not real life. And this got me thinking. 

Hurricane season isn’t the only time we as alcoholics/addicts put ourselves in harms way because of our problem(s). At our worst, it was almost daily. I can’t tell you how many times I would get blackout drunk and wake up the next day at home with no idea of how I even got there. Mind you, some of the places I lived in could be pretty sketchy, too. Downtown Nashville and Downtown Orlando, for example. The violent crime rate in those places is relatively high. And I was just putting myself out there to be put in harms way. And as a bartender, I almost always had a pocket full of cash on me. Easy prey. Perhaps being a relatively heavily tattooed man with a beard helped. 

When I made the decision to get sober, I knew plenty of things would change. The obvious come to mind: Social life, family, routines, finances, career etc. But there are a few that go unnoticed until you think about it. Or until it presents itself to you. Your safety being one of them. No longer am I going to find myself racing to whatever store is open during a hurricane to get more booze. Not only will booze not be in the equation, but I will more than likely have everything I need in the event of a bad one. Water, batteries, first aid, etc. When I hear about a late-night shooting/stabbing/robbery I will know that when it took place, I was already home and in bed. Because it’s true that they say, nothing good comes after midnight. 

Not only am I living a happier life because of my sobriety, but I am also living a safer one. Y’all stay safe out there!

P.S. I still may get some cans of Chef Boyardee for old times sake.