Preface to journey

I am going to try and put some pictures here as soon as I learn how to do it.

To start out my journey over the past 14 years I must begin by saying that I am a recovering cocaine addict.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  A lot of people have been very surprised by that.  The neat thing about people knowing that is that it has changed a LOT OF peoples perceptions of drug addicts.  The majority of people assume that addicts are from bad parts of town, uneducated and come from parents who are unethical.  I have been proof that addiction can strike anywhere and it is no respecter of persons.  As I blog, and I will do one year at a time, you will see the process of addiction, recovery efforts and hopefully have a better understanding of me and drug addiction.  I began using marijuana and alcohol at about the age of 23, and it spiraled slowly out of control.  I did not set out to be an addict.  I used recreationally as most people do when  they begin on the road to hell.  I have been sober 3 years on May 5.  I want to include that I would be sober for periods of time here and there, and I DID NOT use drugs while pregnant with either child.  After 3 times in jail and a DUI  I decided it was time to quit running from everything that I was running from.  You see, I have 2 children to raise, and you can't do that very well high.  I would like people to understand that I did not love the drug more than my children at any time- my priorities were just really screwed up, and at some point the drug starts doing you instead of you doing it.  Regrets?  I have only one.  My regret is smoking the second cigarette.  I, for some reason, can't quit.  I try and try, but nothing seems to work.  I guess it will happen when it is time.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and that there is a reason for my addiction.  I believe it was a lesson in be humble rather than anything else.  I used to be somewhat closed minded and intolerant of certain people.  Drugs changed that.  I am who I am because of all of the experiences I have had in my life, so I live a life of basically no regrets.  Follow me on the journey if you would like, it might be interesting and eye opening!!