I had been to AA meetings in Florida State Hospital and in prison but I did not truly start going seriously until I moved to Lake City, Florida to go to the VA Clinic. From 2008 until 2012 I attended on and off. I earned multiple one month chips, multiple three month chips, a couple of six month chips and one nine month chip.

Sometimes AA made me feel so warm and comfortable that I thought I would be involved in it forever. Then other times some religious fruitcake would be chairing the meeting and totally focus on converting all the drunks to Christianity. They just could not leave it alone that my higher power was the group. Since I have studied the Bible and have read it cover to cover at least three times, I don't like it when people preach to me.

But the main problem that I had with maintaining my sobriety was that I was isolated, unemployed, getting no support from the mental health staff for my mental health problems, and had no friends or intimates in Lake City.

Besides AA the only way that I got to have any conversations with people was to go to two pubs. I also got to flirt with the female bar tenders. That was the only female contact I had. Heterosexual males have to have female contact even if it is only verbal. Just about all the female bar tenders were my age. They understand that old men just like to flirt and that there is no deeper desire.