By the Grace Of God

A little about me, I am 507 days sober today. And each day, it’s only by the grace of God that I’m still sober. Each day, I know I’m one bad decision from spiraling down that drunken rabbit trail. I would like to say that I don’t think about drinking much, but that would be a lie. I still think about it a lot, I wonder if I’m stable enough to have just one drink, just to take the edge off. Just one. But I also know that for me, it never stops at just one. I’m an all or nothing kind of person.

I’ve been working in the restaurant industry for the better part of 30 years, ironically holding every restaurant title at some point, except for bartender. Right now, I’m a Culinary Manager at a breakfast concept here in Colorado, when I started there 7 years ago, the concept had a family owned vibe to it, but it has recently gone the corporate route with it’s growing locations. This shift into being a corporately owned, cookie cutter establishment has made me realize that I have lost my desire to climb the corporate ladder. I cherish my sobriety as the gift of God that it is, and I feel it’s time for me to slow down a bit. There is so much more to life than just working all the time. I would rather pursue peace. This blog is my attempt at just that… pursuing peace. And right now, being a manager in a corporate restaurant, is anything but peaceful. The constant work texts, emails, and app notifications makes it seem like I am always on call, which to some degree I am. My body and my mind are craving a slower pace. So with that said, this blog, The Hodgepodge Kitchen, will be my bridge into a slower, more intentional way of living. It’s my hope that maybe some of the things I share can help someone else who is feeling the same way.