Recently, I was driving to a neighboring town to meet my mother and sisters for dinner. I was on a recovery call when my cell phone battery died, and I had lost my car charger. I felt isolated. I like the security and support of having a working cell phone and I thought about stopping to buy a new car charger. I arrived at the restaurant early and had time to find a phone store close by, so I decided to go and get a car charger.

As I walked into the store, I was greeted with a bright and cheery, “How can I help you?” I held up my old dumb phone and stated, “I need a car charger.” The young man saw my old phone and energetically stated, “You need a smart phone.” My response was confident and clear: “I am a sex addict; porn makes me crazy. I need a dumb phone.” The clerk looked a bit shocked, and then he smiled as he said, “That was honest.” We both laughed.

As I was completing my purchase, he began to ask questions about sex addiction and recovery. When the transaction was nearly finished he looked at me and gently asked, “Have you found the freedom?” I responded, “Recovery has saved my marriage, my career, and my life.”

I don’t know if this clerk had a problem with lust, or if my frank admission was a kind of Twelve Step call for him. I do know that I have found the freedom that can only be found when I am working my recovery program, and today I’m letting my Higher Power drive the bus. Recovery is a beautiful thing.