Consistency

Somebody once told me, "The biggest problem with you, Dave, is that one minute you're there. And the next minute, you're there."

From an early age, maybe 5 or 6 years old, I read the newspaper every day. It was delivered back then on our doorstep and I'd read it before going to school. Part of my morning ritual. I continued to read the paper until just a few years ago. I stopped reading it because (1) it's 90% advertisements and I can't find the stories between the ads (2) I finally learned that I can't trust anything the media prints (3) I spend too much time on the internet (not reading news) (4) I have simply lost interest. But I digress.

The 6 years I ran track, I worked out 7 days a week. Without fail.

Throughout high school and college, I was a "C+" student. Rarely made an "A" or an "F".

When I was a baseball umpire, I practiced my techniques endlessly so that every "call" I made was always with the same, precise motions. I was known as a pitchers umpire; ie: I was consistent with my strike zone and it was big. I showed up at games 45 minutes early.

When I drank, I drank every day. Every night. The only exceptions were when those times arose that I had to be at work or otherwise functional, without alcohol.

I drink coffee every morning. For the past 40 years.

In sobriety, I try to be consistent. I go to pretty much the same 16 meetings each week. I go early to be part of the fellowship. I stay late for the same reason.

So I suppose you could call me Anal-Retentive. But at least I am CONSISTENT about it.