Today’s video!
Added 2020-03-11 17:31:48 +0000 UTCForgive me patreons, for I have sinned! It’s has been too long since my last post!! Sorry about that! I’ve been filming the music video and getting everything ready for Friday. Now onto the video... it’s taken 5 years to finally post this. It feels so much better to finally tell you guys the truth! I hope you don’t relate to my video x
Comments
I keep hitting the "enter" key to get a new line and wind up posting. Drinking a lot over those years, it cost me, at the end, losing my family (wife of 38 years, two sons, and 6 grandchildren.) Being a drunk and psychologically damaged has been a very long row to hoe. I have chronic depression (for which I take medication) and several medical issues (only a few of which come from aging), live on a fixed income but, and this is a big BUT, I'm contented with my life. I miss my ex-wife and our children, but they were, in part, stressful contributing factors as were my career, to which I had to commute 75 miles a day, without public transportation ( I live in the USA where public transportation is ANATHEMA) because we lived in a rural area. That is not to blame them, I and I alone am responsible for my past, current, and, hopefully, future actions. I have an addictive brain. My current addictions are tea and Snicker Minis. I drink a gallon (+-3.8 liters) of tea daily and a 40 oz (1.33 Kg) bag of Snickers every ten days or so ( usually over a two day period). So, for you I say, "If music be the food of love, play on" to steal a line from the Bard.
Bernard Ryan
2020-08-28 01:20:20 +0000 UTCI wish you well.
Bernard Ryan
2020-08-28 00:46:03 +0000 UTCI am a 70yo alcoholic, the son of an alcoholic. Since I went on my own at 17 (53 years ago) I've been clean & sober twice; once for 5 years and going on 10 years this time. I've been to 2 AA meetings in all. Both times I just stopped drinking (though I admit 6 years or so was forced by circumstances.)
Bernard Ryan
2020-08-28 00:45:05 +0000 UTCBig hugs to you
Clare Campbell
2020-07-23 21:42:43 +0000 UTCWanted to say how proud of you I am!! It must have taken so much strength to reveal this and I do hope that doing so has helped you!! The part of your story that I can relate to is the hiding what is really going on , trying to keep the darkness hidden. I have never had a problem with alcohol but have lived with depression, anxiety and PTSD as a result of being raped when I was 20😭. I hid this from everyone for two years and only was able to reveal to my family what had happened after surviving a suicide attempt. I was so good, and still am😭, at hiding how I really felt by putting on a 'mask' !! What is stupid is I finally managed to reveal what had happened, but never felt strong enough to really talk about it, only to still hide behind my masks and not only hide how I felt but that I was bisexual. My 'drug' of choice is shutting myself off from all but my family and my online family. My Dad died last April so this has been one of the hardest years but I am surviving !! I have been a fan of you and your music ever since X-Factor and have several posters, lyric sheets etc from your different Pledge Music campaigns!! My favourite song of yours is 'Things we lost in the fire's ❤ I pray you are safe and well ❤❤
Dave Rendell
2020-03-16 02:14:49 +0000 UTCI would just like to say you are courageous and inspirational.
Mark Hoare
2020-03-14 01:14:34 +0000 UTCDear Janet today in North America, 2 major sports organizations put seasons on hold for this Virus, I know that Europe has been smarter about it from the start but for someone who travels for work a fair bit, please make sure you wear a mask wash your hands wear gloves, do whatever you can to be safe, idk how else I can give you a message, but be careful please
Greg J Hearn
2020-03-12 22:51:02 +0000 UTCWell, the other two posts came back which means that some of what I said in the third and fourth makes no sense whatsoever. But I spent 38 years of my life making no sense, so i'm used to it. Anyway, I just watched the video twice more and I practically jumped out of my skin wanting to comment and get you to elaborate and to share some of my own experiences before AA and after getting sober. I guess what I should do is actually go to a meeting. I don't go to enough. It's not something I recommend. It's too easy to fall back into old attitudes and behaviors, thank God all except for the booze part. Though if I stopped going altogether, I eventually would drink again, I'm sure of that. And now, at 74, I wouldn't have the resilience of youth to get me back onto a sober path. So, I'll keep going and keep sharing and keep trying to help the alcoholic who still suffers. That's what you did with this video. You helped others. Both the still suffering active alcoholic, and the occasionally suffering sober ones. For that I thank you for helping me today.
randy johnson
2020-03-12 16:55:54 +0000 UTCHA! my post above was preceded by two other abbreviated ones that have escaped into cyberspace. I didn't say much, just introduction stuff. But that's why the above starts in the middle of a word.
randy johnson
2020-03-12 16:04:28 +0000 UTCs still all I can handle. (I don't know why this keeps jumping to a new text box. I started the first text just saying, Hi. My name is Randy, and I'm an alcoholic".) Then I made the mistake of hitting the return key and it's been happening repeatedly. Anyway, it was a wonderful way to wake up this morning, attending a meeting to listen to Janet's story. Every meeting I go to renews my faith in the program and makes me so grateful for what it has done for me and so many millions of others. You said, rough quote here, "best decision I've ever made. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't." Well, I have a feeling that I wouldn't have ever found you on YouTube because you would be long gone having given in to the temptation to do away with yourself. I remember driving the 45 minute ride home from New York, I had a very fast RX-7 at the time, and I'd get it up to speeds higher than what showed on my speedometer, just praying that maybe I could just lose control for a minute and end everything wrapped around one of the many big oak trees along the Taconic State Parkway. Or that maybe, finally, I would be caught by the police and get myself arrested for driving while intoxicated and maybe that would wake me up. But it never happened. Somehow I stayed alive to watch my two girls, aged 9 and 5 at the time, grow into happy, successful women with wonderful children of their own. I get to enjoy that and I never would have had I continued to consume about a litre of vodka every day and feel like it still wasn't enough. How many times have we heard at meetings, "one is too many and a thousand isn't enough"? I can relate to that. I'm sure you can, too. (new paragraph. I'm afraid to hit the return key.). I've suspected, was actually 99% positive that you were one of us. You often referred to not drinking but without preaching or elaborating about it. A fan would mention how they would love to come to Ireland and have a pint with you in a pub, and you only responded by saying, well, that would be fun, but you can have the pint. I don't drink. You maintained your anonymity quite a bit better than I would have been able to. I don't remember which one it is, but one of the AA traditions talks about keeping anonymity in the press, radio, and TV. I don't think at all that you violated that tradition with this post. This was Janet just telling her story at an open meeting and, just as all those stories we've heard at open meetings, if this helps just one person put down the bottle and join us, you have performed a great service. You've saved a life. (new paragraph). Your music brings me much joy. But, more than that, I feel like you're a friend, like as if I knew you personally, and I treasure that friendship. I have learned a great deal from your music and your poetry and you have reinforced my desire to be a better version of myself. Jack Nicholson said it in one of his great movies, "You've made me a better man." And you have and for that I will be forever grateful. Take it a day at a time and take time to revel in your own happiness. You owe yourself that. I send love and admiration and am proud to share fellowship with you through AA. Have a great day, Randy from Rhode Island
randy johnson
2020-03-12 16:01:35 +0000 UTC
