How a Computer Helped Me Stay Sober
Dear Son,
In the early days of my sobriety, I had a lot of time on my hands.
Too much time, really.
Drinking used to fill up my hours — or at least blur them. Without it, I found myself staring at the walls, wondering what the hell to do with myself.
I knew I couldn’t sit still for long.
Because when you sit still in early recovery, the voices come back.
And they never whisper anything good.
One day, I found myself in front of a computer.
I didn’t know how to use it.
I wasn’t tech-savvy. I wasn’t even sure where the power button was.
But something in me said, “Learn this.”
Not to be productive. Not to make money.
Just to give my mind something safe to do.
So I did.
I clicked. I typed. I got frustrated.
I swore at it.
Then I clicked again.
Every time I learned something new — even something tiny — it felt like I was regaining a piece of myself.
Not the old version. A new one. One I hadn’t met yet.
I didn’t know it then, but that computer would become one of the greatest tools in my recovery.
Because it taught me two things I desperately needed:
I could learn again.
I could create instead of destroy.
Eventually, I started writing. Building. Selling.
But none of that would’ve happened if I hadn’t first said: “Okay, let’s try this.”
Sometimes people ask me how I stayed sober.
They expect me to say something dramatic or mystical.
But the truth is, one of my greatest strategies was this:
I found something safe to get obsessed with.
And in my case, it was a machine I didn’t understand — but wanted to.
If I had a son, I’d want him to hear this…
Recovery isn’t just about what you stop doing.
It’s about what you start doing instead.
Find something that keeps your mind occupied and your soul lit.
Then lose yourself in it — one click at a time.
📌 This letter was written by Fred Ferguson (GeezerWise). If it spoke to you, I’d love to hear back—just hit reply.
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—Fred [GeezerWise]