JULY 22, 2011 8:26AM

Open Call: Life after quitting

Rate: 10 Flag

Over at big Salon last night, we ran a great essay by my colleague Sarah Hepola about, after returning home to Texas a year after she quit booze, figuring out how to hang out with her old drinking buddies... without going to the bar. The piece addresses one of the most fundamental issues we face when we make major life changes: How do we cope with the ways this affects parts of our lives and our selves that we didn't anticipate.

We want to read your stories about the surprising and difficult challenges you faced after you quit doing something (it can be anything from quitting smoking to quitting your job to quitting eating meat to quitting your marriage to quitting Twitter).

 Be sure to tag your posts "life after quitting."  We'll be featuring our favorites here on the cover of Open Salon and we're hoping to cross-post some onto Salon as well. 

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Sarah P. made quitting work fairly well. :)
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
&
&=means comment seems stuck.
Kerry whine and deletes goat milk.
Try `gin 2 X's.
&
&=mean? 3rd try!
&=FOUR! Why?
O Why O Why?
&
&=Try a FITH?
No go 6 X`s O.
&
&= see psychiatrist.
no cry in shrink beer.
Kerry is asleep in bar?
He nap in squirrel hole?
Who runs Open Salon?
The Pope? He sip 7-up.
He love canned `Fanta.
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
&
&=means comment seems stuck.
Kerry whine and deletes goat milk.
Try `gin 2 X's
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
&
&=means comment seems stuck.
Kerry whine and deletes goat milk.
Try `gin 2 X's.
&
&=mean? 3rd try!
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
&
&=means comment seems stuck.
Kerry whine and deletes goat milk.
Try `gin 2 X's.
&
&=mean? 3rd try!
&=FOUR! Why?
O Why O Why?
I am gonna lobby the Salon Advertiser's decision maker to petition the General Surgeon.

Please Place goat milk in all Booze Bars that Kerry Capone hangs out in. ASAP! Please.

Bo sip Doulble Bock Beer.
Order some raw goat milk.
Gin kill Kerry's disposition.
No Gulps Sticky BBG Rums.
Drink Adam's Wine. Water.
Adam's wine? It's Pure H2o.
Let's QUIT nasty disposition!
&
&=means comment seems stuck.
Kerry whine and deletes goat milk.
Try `gin 2 X's.
&
&=mean? 3rd try!
&=FOUR! Why?
O Why O Why?
&
&=Try a FITH?
No go 6 X`s O.
Or life after quitting OS? This could be a ruse for roping back the likes of Stellaa, Fay Paxton and several others.
Startled me with your title, until I realized it was an open call call. Whew. Don't scare us like that!
Emily,
This could be some very interesting reading. :)
I liked Sarah's article, but didn't find what she fulfills her life with now at all....just a lot of talking about what didn't fill the hole left by her not drinking.

Now, the article by Michael Takiff on Eric Cantor? Hilarious!!
I kept wondering what a parallel article by a Christian to their "tribe's" swindlers would sound like...
I've quit everything, and haven't had a cigarette in 37 days, but won't waste your time or mine. I've never done to well in your favorites category~
Life after quitting? The Human Race?

Oh yeah, hiding in the closet, praying for death to come, good times!!

scanner inspired me. ~nodding~ Except I added NUKES UNDER NEW YORK CITY GOING OFF ON THE MINUTE OF MY DEATH BY OVERDOSING ON CUPCAKES!!

:D

I know...no EP for me!! That's okay, I haven't written my story yet!! Teeheehee!! :D
P.S. Emily, are you still alive?? Or is this some Random Poster Script developed by Kerry after he killed you in a skiing accident in Tibet?

We, the Gutter Krew especially, worry that you're no longer among the living and we weep!!!

Not a lot mind you, just enough to get our eyes wet.....

Anyways....
Emily i did your last request and never did it show up on yr list. I think we are all feeling or many many posts suggest many are feeling the difficulties here as just a bit de trop. I never blame you since we share a birthday I know you must have a good heart but the powers that be, whoever they are treat us pretty abysmally and you, this is advice from an elder, Emily you shouldn't be in the middle of us writers, painters, artists and management. It's a really bad position for someone smart and senstive as you. love Wendy
I quit my husband in the late 80's . He'd become a crack head, blew through all our money, but worst of all, he endangered my children. While I worked, he left my two young ones home alone so he could buy drugs. For their safety and my sanity, we quit him.

Long story short, I became an RN, worked hard and put them through school. For their part, they never gave me one bad day, other than minor childhood problems. I am truly blessed.

My ex-husband is now my late ex-husband, drugs always get you, someway, some how. I am remarried to a fabulous man. Both my children have done well. My son, a PhD. will marry next month. My daughter, a project coordinator, has a wonderful man in her life.
I think the term quit should be replaced by begin.
Not my words, but so true: Adversity does not build as much character as it reveals.
Kudos to all who've begun.
I suppose I'm burning a bridge here, but there doesn't really seem to be one anyway. For nearly three years I've been putting effort and love into this site, but obviously that doesn't count for shit. Nor does posting content which people seem to enjoy. You suck.
I had a divorce with my ex-husband last year because I didn't take it anymore. I was a battered wife. I wasn't supported physically, emotionally and mentally. I had that battle for almost two years. Before we wed, he was a jealous boyfriend, a controller type. But then, when we love, we tend to accept everything about that person hoping they would change. For my relationship, it didn't. After my divorce, I felt free. I felt I could do anything again. I totally enjoy my life right now being single and commitment free. As of now, I am finding myself back again and hopefully be able to love again to the right person.
Good topic ripe with possibilities...though that first sentence needs a bit of reworking!
I turned 70 last week, so I have quit being young. I have reached middle age at last and it feels terrific. Everybody should be so lucky.
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