Regret, Recovery, and Rock and Roll

I had a down day in Cleveland last month and took advantage of the lull to check out the Rock and roll Hall of Fame. That’s me by Joan Jett’s Jaguar that’s displayed in the down stairs lobby. Let’s just pretend that I’m always a hep cat sporting the rat pack stylish head cover. That sounds a lot cooler than the fact that I borrowed the hat from a female colleague while on our impromptu walk through the city to keep the sun from burning my bald head!

Joan Jett is a favorite of mine- regardless if right or wrong I’ve always thought of her as down to earth and a gritty fighter- not to mention she rocks. From the time she picked up a guitar at thirteen to playing live for David Letterman this year in her fifties, Joan has treated every obstacle as nothing more than speed bumps on the road of continued success. But for some of us in recovery her success can be intimidating, especially mature adults finding recovery in their 40’s and 50’s that may feel that it’s just too late to start over. Nonsense!

This topic was brought up in our recovery meeting by a man in his fifties… this wasted life “but I guess it’s too late now.” Sure, Joan Jett has a long successful career (and yes drugs were part of the speed bumps) but just look at how short of a time frame it took from picking up a guitar at thirteen until she was rock star. 4 years. She was touring internationally while still a teenager! If an inexperienced teenager can discover the express train to fulfillment in a few short years, then I have no doubt that someone schooled by thirty years of hard knocks can do the same regardless of what floats your boat. Lesson here: Don’t squander your future in recovery by bemoaning a wasted past of addiction.