I was travelling in Canada (I’m from England) and stopped to buy a drink at a little grocery store.

An oldish looking guy followed me out and asked if I had a cigarette. I gave him a cigarette and lit one up and he started asking about the tattoos on my arms. I told him the stories behind them all and noticed he only had one on his forearm. 

In a small, nondescript font it said “Just for today”

I asked him the story behind it and what followed was a tale of him doing every hard drug and [sleeping with] every woman who came his way for 30 years. He had been clean and sober for 12 months at this point after joining a 12 step program and he explained how just for today was one of the steps and it meant that no matter how bad the cravings…