"When I first got sober, there was somebody, an oldster, who said to me that at the end he was deteriorating faster than he could lower his standards. And that was the point I got to..."
Wow. Anne Lamott on Sober Oldster. When my son was born (about Sam's age) and it wasn't going for me as described in "What to Expect When You're Expecting," I found Operating Instructions at my local Barnes and Noble. You saved me then, and your honest and candid writing still saves me now. Thank you.
Anne, I love you so, so much. Thank you for this. Thank you for your humor, your spirituality, your words, your recovery. You're my inspiration, and I'm jealous that I have to share you with the world.
The authenticity of this whole person is what sets her apart, and contributed to her healing, in this article, and through all her writing, and more importantly in life day after (sometimes miserable, sometimes not) day. Thank you for this interview.
I'm such a huge fan! Thank you for your honesty and integrity, but mostly for sharing your beautiful and often profound words with the world. You are a national treasure. ❤️
Thank you for acknowledging our dirty secret—that at times we all want to numb out. Though I must admit a Pinot and a Percocet has never come to mind. And I may be the only one who ever had a paranoid trip on gas in a dentist’s office. But avoidance of pain is a survival skill. It’s a matter of how we do it. And what we do with it. Answering Sari’s questions honestly and openly is pretty mild stuff and sulking (occasionally) is not a mortal sin. It’s just anger unexpressed but so much less corrosive than depression. Still, your smile is so much sweeter.
I'd like to thank Anne for another book she wrote called Operating Instructions. A friend gave it to me when I was 7 months pregnant. I was still in a state of delusion that I was going to pop out a quiet baby who would sleep in a basket at my feet while I worked. Operating Instructions was a major reality check. I hired childcare before my baby was born. She was a lovely and sweet baby but she had colic, didn't know from napping and well...it was hard. That book wised me up with laugh out loud sentences and I press it into the hands of every young pregnant woman I meet.
SO cool that you nabbed Lamott for an interview! 😎👏🏻. She's brilliant and fun/funny! Bird by Bird is the bible~! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I've been in and out of recovery for 35 years. I've always had a huge aversion to calling myself an alcoholic because of its negative social connotations and baggage that comes with that label. So I discovered if I just introduce myself at AA meetings as a woman on a lifelong path of recovery, I don't feel defeated like I do when I say, "I'm Jody and I'm an alcoholic". Cuz like, I have had cancer, a couple of times. But I don't define myself as a cancer patient or survivor. It's just an aspect of my journey and challenges. I was gang rapped and sex trafficked as a young woman, but I don't lead with that. It's a thing that happened in my life. Do I still do therapy around that (and Everything else!) yes. Anyway, back to the meetings and AA. I have learned, finally to take what's useful that I hear there and leave the rest. And lo and behold, no one has kicked me out of the meetings for not wrapping my arms around every detail of the program. 😁
I'm grateful that there are many paths to recovery nowadays, unlike when I went to my first meeting in the late 90's. As the ancient sages say, "many paths, one journey".
I use tools now from a variety of places that I've gathered along the way to keep me from veering too far off center. It's all good! 💜💖💜
Anne Lamott you have always been my blessing, beginning with Operating Instructions when my first kid was born, and I didn’t even have an inkling I needed to get sober.
Thank you for being there every step of the way. Reading what you consider to be your character defects, and recognizing them as mine, makes me love you even more.
Anne, I love your honesty, humor and great sentences! You make it ok to be a work in progress and own the painful, messy stuff of being human. No spiritualizing it away. Thanks!
When I couldn't take the prissy Christian world anymore, I found Traveling Mercies. You introduced me to the nexus of cursing and Jesus. Which is to say freedom to be myself. While your wonderful journey of sobriety helps so many, so too have you helped the old straight-laced among us to lighten up. Now I can join with the country singer who once said after winning a Grammy, "Praise the Lord, 'cuz He's given me a hell of a good life." I'm sure you agree. God bless.
This makes me very very happy. Anne, my sponsor introduced me to your work 28 years ago and you’ve been with me through my journey in recovery and as a writer. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 🙏🏼
Wow. Anne Lamott on Sober Oldster. When my son was born (about Sam's age) and it wasn't going for me as described in "What to Expect When You're Expecting," I found Operating Instructions at my local Barnes and Noble. You saved me then, and your honest and candid writing still saves me now. Thank you.
I had a dozen copies for new moms, doling them out when the moment was just right. It never did anything but the right thing. Magic.
Anne, I love you so, so much. Thank you for this. Thank you for your humor, your spirituality, your words, your recovery. You're my inspiration, and I'm jealous that I have to share you with the world.
The authenticity of this whole person is what sets her apart, and contributed to her healing, in this article, and through all her writing, and more importantly in life day after (sometimes miserable, sometimes not) day. Thank you for this interview.
Such a wonderful conversation. Anne has saved my life more times than I can count, and I know I’m not alone feeling that way. 🩷
Thank you for connecting us, Elissa! <3
I'm such a huge fan! Thank you for your honesty and integrity, but mostly for sharing your beautiful and often profound words with the world. You are a national treasure. ❤️
Thank you for acknowledging our dirty secret—that at times we all want to numb out. Though I must admit a Pinot and a Percocet has never come to mind. And I may be the only one who ever had a paranoid trip on gas in a dentist’s office. But avoidance of pain is a survival skill. It’s a matter of how we do it. And what we do with it. Answering Sari’s questions honestly and openly is pretty mild stuff and sulking (occasionally) is not a mortal sin. It’s just anger unexpressed but so much less corrosive than depression. Still, your smile is so much sweeter.
I'd like to thank Anne for another book she wrote called Operating Instructions. A friend gave it to me when I was 7 months pregnant. I was still in a state of delusion that I was going to pop out a quiet baby who would sleep in a basket at my feet while I worked. Operating Instructions was a major reality check. I hired childcare before my baby was born. She was a lovely and sweet baby but she had colic, didn't know from napping and well...it was hard. That book wised me up with laugh out loud sentences and I press it into the hands of every young pregnant woman I meet.
Anne, thank you. I have all these words but the lump in my throat has spread to my fingers. Appreciate you.♥️🌿
SO cool that you nabbed Lamott for an interview! 😎👏🏻. She's brilliant and fun/funny! Bird by Bird is the bible~! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I've been in and out of recovery for 35 years. I've always had a huge aversion to calling myself an alcoholic because of its negative social connotations and baggage that comes with that label. So I discovered if I just introduce myself at AA meetings as a woman on a lifelong path of recovery, I don't feel defeated like I do when I say, "I'm Jody and I'm an alcoholic". Cuz like, I have had cancer, a couple of times. But I don't define myself as a cancer patient or survivor. It's just an aspect of my journey and challenges. I was gang rapped and sex trafficked as a young woman, but I don't lead with that. It's a thing that happened in my life. Do I still do therapy around that (and Everything else!) yes. Anyway, back to the meetings and AA. I have learned, finally to take what's useful that I hear there and leave the rest. And lo and behold, no one has kicked me out of the meetings for not wrapping my arms around every detail of the program. 😁
I'm grateful that there are many paths to recovery nowadays, unlike when I went to my first meeting in the late 90's. As the ancient sages say, "many paths, one journey".
I use tools now from a variety of places that I've gathered along the way to keep me from veering too far off center. It's all good! 💜💖💜
Anne Lamott you have always been my blessing, beginning with Operating Instructions when my first kid was born, and I didn’t even have an inkling I needed to get sober.
Thank you for being there every step of the way. Reading what you consider to be your character defects, and recognizing them as mine, makes me love you even more.
Here’s to keeping good somber company💛
I love Anne Lamott.😍
Anne, I love your honesty, humor and great sentences! You make it ok to be a work in progress and own the painful, messy stuff of being human. No spiritualizing it away. Thanks!
I love Anne Lamott!!
When I couldn't take the prissy Christian world anymore, I found Traveling Mercies. You introduced me to the nexus of cursing and Jesus. Which is to say freedom to be myself. While your wonderful journey of sobriety helps so many, so too have you helped the old straight-laced among us to lighten up. Now I can join with the country singer who once said after winning a Grammy, "Praise the Lord, 'cuz He's given me a hell of a good life." I'm sure you agree. God bless.
I love Anne Lamott so much.
This makes me very very happy. Anne, my sponsor introduced me to your work 28 years ago and you’ve been with me through my journey in recovery and as a writer. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. 🙏🏼