Today is the first of April, aka April Fool’s Day. When I was a kid I relished this day as an opportunity to pull pranks on friends and teachers. As a teacher I enjoyed playing along with the “well thought out” gags that my class pulled on me.

There’s a line in a John Mellencamp song that states “If you don’t stand for something, you’re gonna fall for anything.” I tend to agree. If I’m just cruising along as a passenger in my recovery I am setting my self up to have the rug pulled out from under me. I need to focus and stay alert. When I was teaching I paid attention to my “Spidey Senses” so that nothing snuck up on me. That is necessary in my recovery so that I don’t put myself into bad situations or places that challenge my sobriety. Stay on your toes and…

—Rise Up!!