In the latest chapter of Life Imitates Art, I am now consulting with my daughter, Miki, to shake alcohol dependency. Readers of my 2023 novel, The Return Trip, will remember that the protagonist, a journalist trying to make sense of the first election of Donald Trump while hopped up on alcohol and drugs, was deeply influenced by his daughter, a medical doctor determined to save his life. My circumstances aren’t nearly so dire, even as the second Trump tour is far worse than the disastrous first four years. But the opportunity to deepen communications with Miki was irresistible, even as the parallels were spooky.
Miki, who has been celebrating sobriety for almost two years (720 days), is now a Certified Positive Psychology Life Coach and Creative Strategist, which she manages out of her consulting business, Metta Momentum. She approaches counseling and coaching with “loving kindness,” the metta spirit of Buddhism that she adopted, paradoxically, while studying at a Catholic school, the Jesuit-run Loyola University-New Orleans. The spirit works in mysterious ways. Miki has translated her bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Vocal Performance, with a healthy dose of metta, into a knack for directing others to perform confidently and creatively through her consulting service.
“My coaching isn’t about ‘fixing’ you,” she said. “It’s about guiding you back to yourself.” As someone who has struggled annually to live up to the promise of quitting alcohol altogether, or even moderating substantially, I trust that the self I find under Miki’s direction will live up to our expectations.
Miki is part of a youth movement away from alcohol, according to a Gallup poll released last week. Fewer Americans say they drink alcohol (54 percent) than at any time since Gallup began surveying 86 years ago, with young adults 18-34 driving the trend. Women, in particular, are turning away from alcohol, with only 51 percent saying they drink. By contrast, just three years ago coming out of the pandemic, 67 percent of Americans said they drank.
This is not the first time I’ve sworn off the sauce, but this time feels very different. As I prepare to turn 77 in a few weeks, I’m keenly aware of how the body degrades with age, but also how proper diet, exercise and rest can rejuvenate both the body and the mind. We know that alcohol is a primary factor in heart disease and various cancers, as well as for accidental and homicidal deaths. I’ve been fortunate, given a long history of overindulgence with drink and food. I can’t turn back the clock, but I can work hard to force overtime by taking care of myself.
In my corner is Coach Miki, ironically my assistant coach for our neighborhood basketball team eons ago. We’ve come full circle, still applying loving kindness and positive psychology, good teamwork. It’s a winning combination. If you’re looking for a Life Coach, or just someone to talk to, contact Miki here. She also offers free meditations via Zoom biweekly, 30 minutes of serenity amid the hectic and scary events going down around us. Peace.
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