Hi. My name is
Dan. And I’m a recovering addict to
pornography.
A few months ago, a friend of mine posted a link on facebook
to a new song by Joe Walsh. There was a
free download so I snagged it thinking I’d enjoy some new stuff from a classic
rocker. (Sorry, the freeness has expired,
but you can listen to/watch the video here).
It took me a few weeks to get around to actually listening to it, but it
came up on a playlist while I was driving to work. As I paid attention to the words, it suddenly
dawned on me that it was a song about addiction recovery. The message was so powerful that I began to
cry. I didn’t realize it, but I had
stumbled upon an addicts hymn. Here are
the lyrics:
Well you know,
I was always the first to arrive at the party,
And the last to leave the scene of the crime
Well it started with a couple of beers,
And it went I don’t know how many years,
Like a runaway train headed toward the end of the line.
Well I finally got around to admit that I might have a
problem.
But I thought it was just too damn big of a mountain to
climb.
Well I got down on my knees and said 'Hey!'
'I just can’t go on livin' this way!'
Guess I have to learn to live my life one day at a time.
Oh yeah! One day at a time! (x4)
Well I finally got around to admit that I was the problem.
When I used to put the blame on everybody's shoulders but
mine.
All the friends I used to run with are gone,
Lord, I hadn't planned on livin' this long.
But I finally learned to live my life one day at a time!
It was something I was too blind to see,
I got help from something greater than me.
And today I've learned to live my life one day at a time!
This song resonated with me and my addiction. The refrain “One day at a time.” is an often
repeated mantra in addiction recovery and it’s true. I can’t think about maintaining my recovery
for years at a time. I get overwhelmed
and discouraged because I know I can’t do it myself. But I can handle thinking about maintaining
my recovery today. I don’t worry about
recovery tomorrow. That’s tomorrow’s
problem. I only care about recovery
today because today is the day I’m living in.
I can receive that gift from the Lord today and I can to my part
today. In 3 Nephi 13:34, the Lord said
it this way: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall
take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient
is the day unto the evil
thereof.” Thank you Joe Walsh for doing your Step 12.
