#kleanradio

For people trying to seek like-minded folks that choose to party sober, it may be difficult to find helpful resources and tips from others who can empathize and understand this choice. However, there are wonderful resources that can assure you that you are not alone and can provide some insight into partying sober.  Social media sites like YouTube can be a used as a tool for people that choose to commit to a sober lifestyle whether they are in recovery, or just dislike the affects of alcohol on their body, mind and spirit.

While searching for good resources on YouTube, I came across a number of spoofs about maintaining sobriety at a party. These parodies poke fun of the person who is not drinking, and either make them appear as a freak or a geek, or the videos lampoon the miserable sober driver at the fun party that needs to eat ice cream in an isolated corner while everyone else has fun. These videos are a mirror for the reactions of partygoers in real life to a person who chooses not to partake in drinking and the feelings of alienation of the sober partier.

JamesChats expresses through his vlog what it’s like to be sober. In the video the camera focuses on twenty four year old James wearing a baseball tee, whoop-dee hair and a day old beard. He presents himself as an average 24 year old man, and his ability to speak right into the camera with no other distractions, makes his audience buy into his authenticity and honesty. James “opens up a bit to talk about what its like for me to go to a party when I live a life of sobriety.” His goal is to make people understand how difficult this choice can be, based on people’s harsh reactions when he declines a drink. These reactions range from the simply, “Oh why don’t you drink?” to the extreme, “What the f**k is wrong with you?” James explains how these reactions make him feel “isolated, alienated and down right a freak.” Despite the discouraging and uncomfortable experiences, James keeps trying in the hopes of finding like-minded people who understand and accept him. 

Klean Radio, another YouTube source is an excellent channel hosted by Andrew Spanswick, and Pat O’Brien. The show deals primarily with the issues surrounding recovering from drugs and alcohol, and brings in different guests including comedians, musicians, actors and doctors. Although the show is geared mostly towards those in recovery, some of their programming focuses on staying sober at a party, and provides tips and advice for those hoping to feel a little less left out. One great tip offered on Klean Radio by Andrew Spanswick was “show up with a drink in your hand.” A guest suggested bringing a cooler of Mountain Dew, something he practices on a regular basis.

Spanswick offers additional advise to continue socializing at parties if you can get past the “first two drinks” people start to lose their inhibitions and do not pay attention to your lack of alcohol. Spanswick wisely provides insight into why there is peer pressure for everyone to drink at the party, and essentially it is based on the drinkers wanting to feel “comfortable.” The drinkers do not want to be judged, but neither do the sober partiers.

The stories and experiences shared on YouTube about partying sober are real people who simply choose not to partake in drinking alcohol for many the most essential part of partying. YouTube can be a great resource for the person who needs support or encouragement about choosing sobriety. Although you may come across some ridiculous videos on YouTube, in the midst of it all you can find some extremely helpful and insightful videos on how to party sober, and not feel alone. The people posting true authentic videos sincerely create a comforting and inspirational resource for sobriety; and they succeed because they understand the struggle.

Today’s theme is Sean Flanery making a host appearance on Klean Radio. These who expect to find here recaps of ‘The Boondock Saints” quotes or maybe a little teaser of “The Devil's Carnival” can stop reading now - because this show was about real "boondocks'" problems and this is what this blog is about.

Sean came to talk about his initiative of “Christmas 14”, which is a program for aiding children coming from various problematic backgrounds. The core idea of the program is to provide them with a free BJJ training for 6 months and a scholarship and the goal of the program is two-fold: Firstly, these children will be given an opportunity to purchase essential for their environment defense skills. Secondly, and more important, these children will be educated for self-control, commitment and will be given an opportunity to integrate into a friendly supportive environment. The program will run across USA and Canada (LA/NY/Vancouver and some other cities) starting this year.

I am sure that Sean was and will be more precise in providing the exact details of the program and the reason that I am writing this blog is not due to some suppressed journalistic drive. The reason is this difference in Sean’s attitude to youngsters’ problems. Unlike many non-profit/charity organizations that provide the immediate survival needs, this program aims at providing skills for survival, which, in my opinion, is much more important. One can provide someone with food that will satisfy the hunger, but if one will not provide skills for acquiring food, no real achievement will be made and that someone will not survive without others’ help. Therefore, for me, training children for self-awareness, discipline and commitment is something that is far more beneficial in the long run. In (a free-text) Sean’s words, “this program is about taking care of self-resources before anything else”.

Then the callers were put on-line, and my subjective impression is that each and every one presented a certain problem and somehow expected help from others in order to overcome it. Sean’s response to the callers was that “the important pieces are still there” and that “any problem cannot be solved by running away”, meaning that whatever happens to you, you are still the master of your destiny and only you can help yourself. The most memorable saying, at least in my opinion was “the bottom is where you determine it”. In other words, once again, no one can solve your problems but yourself and only you determine how badly your condition affects you. I hope that Sean and his team will be able to deliver at least partially these believes to the youngsters that will participate in the program and I wish best of luck to both the participants and the organizers. 

On a less serious note, there was a magnificent display of the familiar cowboy-style shirt, bared chest and, most important, ‘’the Leather” was there. But frankly, all these are just another costume of someone who, himself not being a saint (his words) and knowing the world outside, came to do a real thing and it will be really difficult to stop.