Friday I came home from hospital after a week of being on the covid ward.
But Friday also marked a special day, 18 years of sobriety.
I often wonder whether still counting the years is worth it, I mean, after all this time the chances of me wandering off for a bottle of vodka is slim to non, and yet… the reality is, you never can risk it again.
On the whole alcohol or lack of, doesn’t have any effect in the day to day of things, but it’s those moment when you’re not expecting it that hits me even after these years.
In this world of covid I’ve had to carry my own scented hand sanitiser because many of the ones in shop doorways and even in churches give off an alcohol scent and when not expecting it, rubbing alcohol on your hands is tough.
Another problem I have is cough medicine, yep, many have alcohol as a base and it’s can be a bit of a problem for me.
Anyway, less about those old days, they’re gone and forgotten, and that’s kind of a new attitude I’ve developed about the past. Maybe more on that another time.
I decided I would draw a sketch in celebration of my sobriety. It’s in a similar style to my last image, whimsy with mice!
But the theme is one I’ve wanted to draw for a long time. There’s the old tales of Salvation Army open airs where a drunken man came to Christ and the drum was laid down as a mercy seat (place of prayer).
There are some old images of scenes like this and I’ve liked the idea that any place can become a mercy seat when needed.
I also added a mother standing aside, perhaps watching her son come home, for all the parents who’ve had to leave their children in the hands of the Lord. I called it ‘a mother’s prayer’ and I hope you like it.
Now what to do about it, I’m wondering whether to get it professionally printed and sell it as a limited run, with proceeds to Wakefield Salvation Army (a small Corps with big ideas and a place I love). But printing even at A5 size costs quite a bit.
A novel idea is to get it printed on something like a water bottle or mug, it’d be the same price as a print, but the whimsical style might suit that better.
The final option is to turn it into cards and sell them.
Anyway, it’d be interesting to see what people think and any ideas to what I could do with it.