This HUGE step forward in emotional sobriety has allowed her host and hold space for hundreds of hours of at times, difficult heartbreaking stories because she had learnt how to successfully unhook herself from the credit as it didn't matter. What mattered was what Jean thought of Jean not what the world thought of Jean and that could only have happened in sobriety. That was a game-changer for Jean and 'being Jean' as by unhooking from the positive affirmations of applause for her work she also ensured the negative outcomes or listeners relapse wouldn't destroy her. She holds space for all her guests but does so with grace and protects herself along the way. Heading into her the Ninth Season of her time with The Bubble Hour she is in a reflective mood thinking of all the stories she has heard over the years and how much change she has seen in the sober space. How a one-size-fits all is no longer the way and we are all seeing a world with a patchwork of recovery being uniquely crafted by each woman in recovery and it is a wonderful space to see unfold. When Jean talks of writing her eyes light up in a most magnificent way and I really think this is the way to this ladies heart. Yes, she is multi-talented and can do a million things from singing to podcasting, from hosting events to TV but at her core, I believe she is a wordsmith, a storyteller who finds pure joy when sitting in rural Canada in her home looking out on the fields crafting characters and stories weaving words across a page. She loves to do writing workshops, editing and quite frankly anything that involves words be that poetry or storytelling is this ladies jam! I may be wrong but that lady who woke up a decade-plus ago seeking outside validation and awards to line her sitting room shelf is completely at peace with who she is, what she can achieve and what she wants to do. Her three sons are married and she is a grandmother to three beautiful kids with three daughters-in-law in her lovely peaceful world in rural Alberta and as a sober lady can be the go-to babysitter or backup 24/7 if needed and that means the world to her. Our time for chat comes to a close and I find my world the better for meeting Jean McCarthy the highly acclaimed Podcaster, Author and Sober Advocate and to me, the woman was all those things but more than that, she was a charming lovely lady to spend time with and we connected on multiple levels and I look forward to staying connected as the world goes back to normal after this hiatus on travel and having a cup of coffee with this lovely gentle talented soul.
The Ember Ever There: Poems on Change, Grief, Growth, Recovery, and Rediscovery which was released worldwide on June 19, 2020 and Jean describes the collection she says, “This isn’t the story of addiction and recovery. This is the story of losing myself and finding myself again”. IMPORTANT SIDEBAR COMMENT that many in early sobriety will find powerful, Jean said to me: "Addiction looks for differences and looks for holes in people's stories, recovery looks for similarities in stories. Wherever you are and you are picking out differences to justify why you are okay with drinking, please remember RECOVERY LOOKS for similarities. This is often the missing link."
Wondering how to stay alcohol-free at the annual rounds of office parties and family gatherings when booze is everywhere? Worried about how to respond when situations get uncomfortable? Wish you knew what other sober people have to say about their experiences? UnPickled Holiday Survival Guide includes insights and lessons learned from hundreds of blog posts and interviews about life after alcohol by Jean McCarthy. Includes Practical exercises to build you readiness for awkward situations. Bonus information for friends and family of people in recovery. Tips from others in recovery
Thank you Jean for your time and dedication to the sober space.
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