You remind me of one of my sponsors, Bill
She used to put it to me like this:
(because I have quite a bit of trouble
understanding even simple things)
She would say - Barb, you got on the airplane
in Houston (for example)
which is like saying, you got sober -
xxx number of months ago.
Now, here you are, up in the air,
somewhere between Houston and SanDiego
Are you telling me that you would actually,
really, even consider thinking for a second
about jumping out of the plane??
You are already ON that plane.
You already made that decision.
Jumping is suicide.
I could sort of understand that.
Thank goodness I don't know how to operate them funny doors!
BTW...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABSATEMELIA!!!!!
...Isn't it good to listen to the wisdom of the aged?
Here's a little story for you....About twenty years ago, during a check-up, a doctor asked me if I did drugs, then he asked me which ones. I told him at the time I regularly did heroin,cocaine, and alcohol. He looked at me with concern, and said, "Son, that alcohol will kill you."
O-o-kay, since you don't like to gossip, ...we didn't hear it here. :wink:
BTW, you do know they're into purple, green, blue, etc., hair right? (shudder)
Seaglass--
22 Years! WOW! Conratulations and I hope the next 22 will be just as rewarding.
YES SEAGLASS ROCKS!! CONGRATS HONEY!
UH OH! THERE IS TROUBLE BREWING, THE RED
HEADED PERSON OF WHOM I SPOKE RECENTLY,
(ONLY A WEE BIT OF GOSSIP FOR WHICH I WAS
IMMEDIATELY REPENTANT AND AMENDING)
THIS RED HEADED PERSON HAS DECIDED THAT
HE WANTS TO HUG ME AFTER A MEETING.
NOW I HAVE A POLICY THAT I ONLY HUG MEN
WHOM I HAVE KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME
FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS, THOUGH I
OCCASSIONALLY DO MAKE AN EXCEPTION SINCE
AN INDIVIDUAL ONCE IN AWHILE, IS JUST SUCH A
FRIGHTFUL MESS, AND I'M SO PURELY HAPPY
FOR HIM TO HAVE WANDERED IN THE DOORS.
LIKE THE ANCIENT EDDIE - HE'S BEEN THROUGH
SEVERAL MILLS, BEAT UP, BROKEN DOWN, ACTS
LIKE HE'S A WEE BIT RETARDED BUT WHEN HE
SPEAKS, WORDS OF WISDOM DROP FROM HIS
MOUTH LIKE LITTLE PEARLS. HE IS AWFUL TO LOOK
UPON, ANCIENT, HAIRY, UNKEMPT, DIRTY, AND
GOD ONLY KNOWS IF HE HAS A HOME.... BUT GOD
SPEAKS THRU EDDIE EVERY TIME I SEE HIM AT A
MEETING, AND I AM MORE THAN EVER AMAZED AT
THE MESSENGER.
AND I FORGOT TO MENTION, GRATEFUL TO BE
HERE, TO BE ALIVE, TO BE HEARING WHAT
OLD EDDIE HAS TO SAY ... I AM SAD ON THIS
DAY, MY PLANS FOR MANY TRIPS TO THE
MOUNTAINS OVER THIS SUMMER MAY BE IN
DANGER DUE TO HEALTH PROBLEMS AND I
WAS SO LOOKING FORWARD TO BE GOING
ONCE AGAIN... I WILL HAVE ONE YEAR FREE
OF A HOSPITAL STAY IN MAY - BUT I DON'T
THINK I AM GOING TO MAKE IT TILL MAY.
IT LOOKS DANGEROUSLY LIKE I WILL BE IN
SURGERY WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. OH, IF
ONLY THIS COULD TURN OUT TO BE NOTHING.
I WOULD BE SO, SO GRATEFUL.
God's not gonna' give you anymore than you can handle Babs..... Live that Serenity prayer.
BillW<
Page 55 of Alcoholics Anonymous is one of my favorites. Its message helped me define a personal Higher Power at a time when I thought such a power was nonsense.
I read the following:
" . . . deep down in every man, woman and child, is the fundamental idea of God. (Emphasis mine.) It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other things, but in some form or another, it is there. For faith in a Power greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that power in human lives, are facts as old as man himself."
For me, there was no denial that God existed as a fundamental idea. From this thought -- and over many days one at a time -- I grew spiritually in the AA program. Had it not been for the message found on Page 55, I may have never continued in AA.
I had been denying for years the existence of a Higher Power. AA, I thought, tries to turn its members into Bible-thumpers. It won't get to me, I figured. I could not, however, deny that fundamental idea.
Deep down, that idea was within me. I just had to admit it. I had been powerless over the idea because I was a drunk. Once I eliminated alcohol, the idea seemed to surface on its own accord.
Thanks williamhenry and well put!
Went to a traditions meeting the other day for the first time in a long time - many, many years. Seems a meeting happens just for me, when I need it.
I have often expressed my rancor for my second wife in meetings and maybe even on these threads, somewhere. I met her in the program and we were together for just 4 months of marriage. This was a point of contention with me but proved that **** happens, even in the program. I didn't drink or drug during this time but needed and received lots of meetings and help from friends.
My ex was in and out of this program for over 20 years proving that, "Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who will not completely give themselves to this simple program..."
My ex died on March the ninth from over ingestion of shine and valiums -
I know that she had many problems with herself and her program - the steps are for the individual. She however had no problem with AA. She kept trying, she was totally aligned with the Traditions, which is the part of the program for the group. Thanks to my higher power, I received a meeting that I need when I needed it.
I am in total peace with my ex, and my current wife of 6+ years is a God send. She has shown me what love and happiness really is.
I give my thanks now and always!
BillW<
Regardless of any rancor you may have had towards your second wife, the cause of her death must have hit
you very hard.
I will be praying to my Higher Power that you continue to have a happy life with your current spouse.
Grieving the loss of your former spouse, however, is something you must allow yourself to do. In the process, you may realize that she has finally found the peace she sought in drugs and alcohol.
Thanks for sharing this sad story.
