PROUD TO BE SOBER
In honor of Pride Month, we asked individuals in recovery what they are most proud of in their journey to a clean and sober life.
BY PAULO MURILLO
SECOND CHANCE
“What I’m most proud of in my sobriety is that I get to be present. I have lived in Los Angeles for 18 years. This city has a lot to offer. We have wonderful restaurants and venues, and we have immaculate places in nature. The thing I’m most proud of now, after having over four years of sobriety, is that I get to enjoy all of those things and actually be there for them. I’ve seen a lot of this stuff before, but now I’m actually present. I’m proud that I get a second chance to experience everything that LA has to offer and actually enjoy it. I only knew LA through a drunken lens. There are a lot of bars and clubs, and I know a lot of people through those outlets, but I’ve learned in my sobriety that I can still go to those places and have a good time. I don’t need to remove myself by getting inebriated. Every single person, whether it’s a friend, family member, or acquaintance, has expressed they are proud of me for getting sober. They’ve all expressed their support.”
—Megan O, sober since February 8, 2020.
MAMA’S BOY
“I’m proud to have a 12-step program in my life. It’s like I finally have a clue now. I’m proud I have discovered the tools to learn more about myself. I can finally navigate through life, and that makes me proud. It gives me a sense of integrity and self-awareness. I’ve never been embarrassed to be sober. I definitely was not embarrassed to tell people I was high. Everybody knew I was high, and everyone knew I was a party person. Now, in order for me to battle addiction, I have to let everybody know that I am sober for my protection. My family is happy I’m sober… My mom is definitely the proudest. My dad didn’t get to see me sober, but my mom, being Asian, said, ‘I don’t have to worry about you anymore.’ I’m a mama’s boy, so that means a lot.”
—Leandrò Deleon, sober since January 27 2008.
TRUTHFUL LIFE
“What makes me most proud about being sober is knowing that I’m healing and have a place to belong, and just knowing that I’m trying to live a good spiritual life. I like that I hold myself accountable and am trying to walk that line of being an honest person and contributing back to society, as opposed to just being a statistic… I know my past may be troubled, but today I have a solution. I’m not a statistic. I can find some healing, and I can live an honest, truthful life to the best of my ability—that’s really what makes me proud to be in sobriety. I share this with everybody. I don’t keep it a secret. I let people know I’m sober, and I explain to them the difference between me being sober and me being an addict, and how much it has improved my life now that I’m sober.”
—Julian Lockhart, sober since October 7, 2023.
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