A note about other peoples’ asses

A note about other peoples’ asses

What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This episode of LOL Sober zooms in on one surprisingly relatable theme: other people being completely wrapped up in themselves. Nelson, an alcoholic addict who writes under a pen name, shares a short, sharp story about being interrupted halfway through what he’s sure was a "funny and timely and well-told" tale.

The interrupter’s questions make it obvious they haven’t listened to a word he’s said, and his first reaction is pure indignation: "What kind of jerk loses track of that story halfway through? How dare you?" From there, things take a more reflective turn. Nelson admits, with humour and honesty, that "most people are up their own asses"—and that this isn’t new, and it isn’t just millennials or smartphones.

Born in 1977, he points out that self-absorption has "always" been around and is tied to basic survival instincts and the way our brains work. For anyone in recovery, this perspective is both familiar and slightly uncomfortable.

Nelson reminds you that in sobriety, the oxygen mask rule still applies: "The most important sobriety in my life is my own." People are focused on their own lives, their own crises, their own distractions—and your hilarious story or hurt feelings simply may not sit at the top of their list. He talks about everyday resentments: nobody asking dad how he is, a missed birthday call, those moments where you feel painfully low on someone else’s priority list.

The twist is that the responsibility, as he sees it, lies with him: "The job in this instance, it's on me to not be upset about it." Nelson closes with a confession that he’s fully capable of "crawling up my own ass of self-importance" too. The episode lands on acceptance and self-awareness with a comic edge, asking you: how might your sobriety feel lighter if you stopped trying to fix other people and focused on your own reactions instead?