. Fucking awesome, you’re amazing, … thank you for your honesty @JasonFisher , have a great day 
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Inspiring read! Thanks for sharing Jason! 
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Yessir!! Getting through my 4th step was quite a process. I waited for long enough that I could reflect more clearly on the past. I’ve come to terms with so many resentments, regrets, and feelings of guilt. Today I live an honest, unselfish life. I’m grateful everyday for what I have. Keep fighting that good fight buddy!! always a pleasure to see your posts
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It’s good to hear from you!
You’ve been working hard on your recovery and getting the rewards!
That’s awesome! This was a great read. Congrats!
The photography thread misses you. I hope you’ve been getting out fishing too!
Thanks buddy! I’ve been on a bit more lately. I was going to 4-5 meets a week and working with a few new folks. It’s been a helluva ride!
I’ve been getting out fishing every weekend for the most part but it’s spring and it’s run off. Colorado is almost all tail water so it’s either a trickle or ripping right now.
You own your own business now??? Awesome man! Look how far we’ve come, it’s just so great. Even bad days are manageable now… My worst day sober is light years better than any day my last 2 years drinking. I don’t see the photography forum anymore?? I got some good stuff
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I got tired of being under the unpredictable behavior of the alcoholic I worked for. Getting my own boat has been the goal for a long time. As a drunk I couldn’t manifest it. Recovery is good!
I’ve been slacking posting there lately. I’ve been obsessed with working on videos for my YouTube channel.
I have to go to Gold Beach tomorrow. I’m going to do some Osprey hunting while I’m there. I’m excited about that!
Its awesome that your doing good!
Your an amazing photographer! I’m excited to see your photos!
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Gifts of recovery…
As I continue to recover from alcoholism and drug addiction I have had numerous opportunities to be a positive influence in people’s life.
It’s something I never anticipated or expected.
As most of you already know, I started a YouTube channel. As a drunk, I talked about doing it. In recovery, I quit talking and started doing.
YouTube isn’t easy. It was hard getting the 1000 subscribers to monetize my channel.
Some of my videos that I worked really hard on only got a handful of views.
I had plenty of shitty comments. I’ve had death wishes from people who hate commercial fishing along the way too.
I was getting really discouraged. I’m stubborn. I kept making better videos, I kept learning more and more about editing. I kept experimenting.
It kept me out of trouble and gave me something positive to do and it kept me out of the bar, and from hanging out with slippery people.
The last couple of months, it’s been blowing up. I still get haters, but it’s become easy for me to not take it personal.
I’ve been growing a fan base.
My earliest fan has supported me by commenting on every video I post.
When he can’t think of anything to say, he writes “feeding the algorithm, Let’s Go Brandon!”
After seeing it a bunch of times, I googled it. It means fuck Joe Biden. After a while it been getting on my nerves. I didn’t want to offend him, so I’ve been tolerating it and deleting that comment.
Today, I got this Email from him.
Hey Jason When and what is your next fishing trip, jigging ,trolling , tuna, salmon I guess you could say I am handy capped as my spine is wired and screwed together and on top of that I need to get both my hips replaced so I spend about 99% of my time laying on a bed because of the pain. I need something to do to keep my sanity. So I was wondering if you would record at least 20-30 minutes of footage with both your head and a deck mounted camera with the sound running and send it to me. I would like to put together a Fishing Tough vid and send it back to you to post if you like it. It’s totally up to you. I need some footage to run through my editing software to see just what I can do with it. I would like to do a voice over in Spanish just for the hell of it and I will send you that to. If you will do this for me I have a mail box for big files called Drop Box I would send you a link in a email to you that you just click on to open Then drop and drag or paste you files in the box and hit upload and they will come right to me I can send the finished files right back to you the same way. Oh I will have all the baits gathered together I hope you will try on the jig cam and will be ready to send them to you next weekend. Here is my number if you have any questions or need more info…
It made me cry.
You never know what others are going through, and what kind of impact you make on someone’s life.
I’m starting to make a little money on YouTube.
This is priceless!
I’m grateful to be in recovery!
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And I’m grateful for you, and for you being in recovery Jason! And for sharing your stuff, here, and elsewhere. I’m just glad and grateful for the truth you share with all of us. Makes me glad to see you carving out your own freedom, your own road, your own life. One day at a time.
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So cool Jason.
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Im doing good. Thanks for the shout out!
Its crab season. Our start keeps getting delayed. We are always on call to be ready. Domoic Acid. Its clearing up. We could go any day. Last year, we were almost done by now. I’ve been taking advantage of the time and getting a lot done. in preparation for after the season.
.
We ended getting a 4th guy who isn’t the tweaker or the functioning alcoholic. He is clean, He got in a bunch of drug trouble and did some time. He is doing good and has custody of his kid, so he has plenty of incentive to stay clean. He is a rookie crabber, but he is ocean savvy. I havent had to work with him much yet, but I like him. I think he will be good.
He drinks. Based on my experience with myself as someone who hid behind the illusion that alcohol is legal, so its all “good”. I had to learn the hard way. That’s none of my business. Its by far, the most sober crew I that have been on.
I’ve been obsessed with making better YouTube videos. I’ve been making a little bit of money. its not a lot but its growing. I bought everything I use for YouTube with saved beer money. Every camera, my computer, the software, Everything.
Getting set up to get paid was a giant pain. As a drunk, I drifted pretty far off the grid. I didn’t have a bank account for a long time off the grid. In recovery, Today. I now have a bank account and my first YouTube payment arrived yesterday. I haven’t been making money crabbing so it came in handy. Its also the first time I’ve been payed anything significant for my photography.
I had a video blow up in July but I accidentally had copyrighted music and deleted it. I knew most of my other videos did too, so I deleted them, and pretty much killed any momentum I had. The video got me a few thousand subscribers. That qualified me to apply for monetization.
It also gave me a sense of direction. In October three videos went viral at once and my channel started blowing up. Its hasn’t stopped. it slowed down a little for a couple of weeks.
I had something cool to show for my money, its occupied time I used to spend drinking. Instead of being the drunk guy at the bar talking about doing stuff, I became the sober guy at home learning how to do it.
Last summer I struggled with giving myself permission to deserve nice things. The fruits of my labor. Goals I had worked for scared the living shit out of me when I got there. I wasn’t expecting that.
I stepped up my program to try and feel better. At first it worked. I did things I wasn’t willing to do, like get a sponsor, and work the steps.
I worked the steps with him, and it was good. But he ended up putting himself in a guru position. That resulted in me not working with him anymore. Its made my Po-dunk little coastal town AA meeting really awkward. So I haven’t been going. When I quit smoking. I quit going.
Not drinking has become really easy. I know better than to take it for granted. I always wonder If I should do something more for my recovery like participate here more. Thanks for the shout out.
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It’s so good to hear from you Jason! I’m happy you are fine and things turned out so good. You put a lot of work in 
PS: I miss your posts on the meme thread 
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Aw man! It’s so great to read from you! There you are, charting uncharted territory in your life, and greeting the unexpected with your honesty and vulnerability and courage. It’s huge! But I’m not surprised. 
Super grateful for your post and for you! 
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Maybe you should Jason. I do believe staying involved and in contact with the sober community in one way or another is an integral part of Recovery. Lest we forget. Just like being of service, which is good for those we serve as well as for ourselves. I’m lucky to be able to work in addiction care and pay some of what I got back that way. While getting paid for it too 
. This place is my sober home though. Anyway, thanks for dropping in and sharing friend. Always great to hear from you.
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So happy to see you drop in and read, that you are doing so well. I miss your posts, they are always such a pleasure and inspiration to read. And also well done on quiting smoking!!
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Thank you so much for checking in!! I love reading your updates because you share so much and let us see your process.
This stuck with me too…
There’s a lot to relate to there.
I continue to be amazed at you having a mostly soberish crew, that is something!! I hope the new guy works out and I am glad you are giving him a chance. We all deserve those.
Wow on your you tubes. I don’t go on YT often but I love your videos. My husband and I really dig the underwater stuff and amaze at the cameras you must have. I am glad you are figuring it all out and getting to the $ part…and made it thru some challenges.
It is really good, as always, to hear from you. Hope crabbing starts soon!
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Aww Jason! I am so glad you are doing well. Gives me the warm fuzzies. 
I was thinking about your YouTube videos the other day. I need to find a link to your page again and subscribe. 
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I’m working on a new welcome to my channel video this morning.
Since I mostly film while working and I cannot control what is being said its been easier for me to just mute out everything and use music to narrate my videos.
I’ve stepped up my game and I have been narrating my videos. I’ve been having a lot of fun with that.
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