I’ve never been an alcoholic…so how can I proudly wear this shirt that Sober Athletic Wear sent to me yesterday?
It’s bc we ALL can be “sober from” anything we’ve used as a vice, to avoid working on our own “stuff”…and yes we ALL have “stuff.”
For me, my “ism” was/is workaholism. I didn’t know it at the time, but I worked around the clock, at least partially (aside from loving the actual work in sports), to avoid dealing w the early life traumas I’d experienced w the sickness of family members, & early loss of close friends.
Yours may be work like mine…it may be alcohol in the traditional “sober” sense…but it may also be gambling, caffeine, food, Rx drugs, recreational drugs, sex, & the list goes on.
The bottom line is, there are healthier ways to work on our stuff, than avoidance through “isms.” And just like alcohol, when we discover our isms, staying away from the addiction is something we have to keep on working on! That’s where the healthier STARR Exercises come in…to help us manage pain, & even heal.
Troy, from the Sober brand, got in touch w me via Theo Fleury. The logo was so cool, that Theo started wearing their hat in many of his appearances. It started a convo.
When Troy & I spoke, I told him there’s a way to bring everyone together arnd this word/logo: include EVERYONE who is sober from anything – change society’s association of “sober” most often/only being tied to alcohol. Start a “Sober From” campaign so ppl can share their stories.
So…I look forward to seeing Sober Athletic Wear’s brand grow, & them rolling out their creative execution of the “Sober From ______” campaign.
