I was called on the telephone by someone I don't know, asking me if I would help them figure out a way to get a alcoholic out of a hotel room, into detox, and thereafter the rooms of recovery.
I agreed to meet with this person at a family resturant to discuss it further.
I got to the resturant and there was a group of AA members gathered around a table, some with rather serious looks on their faces, others lightly laughing, some looking a bit lost. All with a cup of coffee in front them. I asked, "have ya'll seen so and so, I was suppose to meet him here?" One replied, "He stopped by and said you'd be showing up, he had to go to work."
I pulled up a chair next to the table and asked, "well, are we going on a 12 Step call?" To my surprise in a group of approximately 10 other AA members, no one there besides myself had been on a 12 Step call. In almost unison they said, "we'er ready, we just don't know what to do". I asked if any of them had done a actual 12 step call on a wet (drunk) alcoholic. Again, in unison I got a resounding "No".
I looked around the table. There was a guy there with very long hair, with sunglasses on, in biker attire, he had been sober for about a year. There was another man there in a very nice suit, with very well groomed hair. He looked like a lawyer or CPA. He had been sober for 11 days. Another man with a hugh belly was sitting next to me. He had a T-Shirt on with shorts and sandles. His T-Shirt didn't cover his darn belly button. He was sober for "almost 8 years". There were also a few younsters amoung the group, with pierced lips, tongues, eye brows, in clothes that were seemingly a bit large for their sizes... well, the back pockets were actually just behind their darn knees. They had been sober between 90 days and 9 months. Then there was this kinda nerdy looking guy. Glasses thicker than coke bottle, looked like he forgot to comb one side of his head of hair, with clothes that looked like what you would have seen on the TV. show, "Happy Days", straight out of the 1960's.
I asked, "does anyone know what room this person is in?" They responded in harmony..."108".
I got on my cell phone called the hotel I was told he was in, asked for his room and without a doubt, a very wet drunk answered the phone. I told him someone concerned for him thought he might want some help, that they felt he might have a drinking problem. He started laughing and crying at the same time. "A drinkin' problem? I'm a damned alcoholic!" I asked if he had ever been to an AA meeting. He replied, "I tried that one time, a long time ago, but I don't fit in with those people. I don't fit in anywhere."
I looked around the table at this odd ball group of guys, and it dawned on me, he'll be able to relate to someone that is sitting at this darn table. There was such a wide range of personalities willing to practice the prinicples. Eager to do a 12 step call.
I spoke to him. "There is a great group of guys here with me that would love to meet and help you, if you would be willing to talk with them. They are a easy group of people, who have been where you are now. Usually, I'd only bring one other person, but I think you will really like these guys... what do you think about my bringing them with me to the hotel so we can talk in person and see if there is anything we can do to help you?" "You are not really the police, tryin' to trick me again are you?" He asked. I told him, "No, we are not the police at all, you can end our visit with you at any time you want and if you want to stay in that hotel and continue drinking we will leave without a problem." He started laughing, "you guys don't give up do ya? The last time ya tricked me was by calling my house and telling me I won a TV, that I had to go to the store to pick it up, as soon as I walked out my front door to go get it, ya jumped on me and arrested me for an old warrant". I laughed with him on that story. "We arn't the police.. wait til you see us through your peep hole in the door. You will immediately know we are safe, if the police department hires a bunch of guys that looks like us, it will be a very sad day for this community." Everyone at the table laughed. He asked, who ya bringin with ya, whatz der names?" I knew all their faces but not their names so I started to ramble some..."theres beer belly bob, hairy larry, Sammy Suit Up, tighty whitey, the Pierce brothers, and me, my name is John".
Silence
"Okay, bring those wirdo's over here and I'll put up the bottle while we talk"
We got to the hotel room, knocked on the door. It opened and there stood the saddest looking man I had seen in a while. Buggers running down and over his lips, tears running from his blood shot eyes, standing at a 20% angle as he tried to size us up, in only his boxer shorts. I reached out my hand to shake his, introduced myself, got a .."sorry I don't look better" response from him. I simply assured him, as I looked back at the rest of the guys..."You'll fit in just fine with us".
One hour later he was in detox, and smiling a smile that can only be produced by a drunk alcoholic feeling a real sense of hope at last.
The group that accompanied me on this journey all met back at the resturant. The younsters were carrying on, laughing and insinuating that they felt their Higher Power gave them a chance to be someones "Angel" today. The man in the suit, with 11 days sober, got all teary eyed and said, "I feel like my Higher Power sent me to the hotel room of an Angel. All I did today was think about having a drink and as soon as I saw that man and his condition, my desire to drink vanished".
I asked them all..."Do you know how we determine a sucessful 12 Step call?" One replied, "we got him in detox". The rest looked a bit puzzled. I replied... "We all stayed sober doing it".
Life is good today...... May God Bless each of you, those you love, and the rooms of AA.
Yours In Recovery,
John
-- Edited by John at 02:16, 2005-01-22
Cabbageheadchris said
Jan 22, 2005
Fantastic story John, just shows that alcoholism can affect anyone. Thats one of the things that supprised me when I went to my first meeting, The range of people from all classes of society, all brought together by the same problem and all determined to sort it out. Absolutly brilliant!
Best wishes.
Chris.
Nic said
Jan 24, 2005
John - that was great. I so miss the comeraderie and the way we all just 'fit' together in ways that must appear extraordinary to onlookers, when we head off into the world together.
Please keep sharing your progress. I look forward to it.
In fact - if anyone wants to share their progress in 12 step, H & I, or school visits, it is always really encouraging to read, and helps me remember where I came from and how I got here.
I was called on the telephone by someone I don't know, asking me if I would help them figure out a way to get a alcoholic out of a hotel room, into detox, and thereafter the rooms of recovery.
I agreed to meet with this person at a family resturant to discuss it further.
I got to the resturant and there was a group of AA members gathered around a table, some with rather serious looks on their faces, others lightly laughing, some looking a bit lost. All with a cup of coffee in front them. I asked, "have ya'll seen so and so, I was suppose to meet him here?" One replied, "He stopped by and said you'd be showing up, he had to go to work."
I pulled up a chair next to the table and asked, "well, are we going on a 12 Step call?" To my surprise in a group of approximately 10 other AA members, no one there besides myself had been on a 12 Step call. In almost unison they said, "we'er ready, we just don't know what to do". I asked if any of them had done a actual 12 step call on a wet (drunk) alcoholic. Again, in unison I got a resounding "No".
I looked around the table. There was a guy there with very long hair, with sunglasses on, in biker attire, he had been sober for about a year. There was another man there in a very nice suit, with very well groomed hair. He looked like a lawyer or CPA. He had been sober for 11 days. Another man with a hugh belly was sitting next to me. He had a T-Shirt on with shorts and sandles. His T-Shirt didn't cover his darn belly button. He was sober for "almost 8 years". There were also a few younsters amoung the group, with pierced lips, tongues, eye brows, in clothes that were seemingly a bit large for their sizes... well, the back pockets were actually just behind their darn knees. They had been sober between 90 days and 9 months. Then there was this kinda nerdy looking guy. Glasses thicker than coke bottle, looked like he forgot to comb one side of his head of hair, with clothes that looked like what you would have seen on the TV. show, "Happy Days", straight out of the 1960's.
I asked, "does anyone know what room this person is in?" They responded in harmony..."108".
I got on my cell phone called the hotel I was told he was in, asked for his room and without a doubt, a very wet drunk answered the phone. I told him someone concerned for him thought he might want some help, that they felt he might have a drinking problem. He started laughing and crying at the same time. "A drinkin' problem? I'm a damned alcoholic!" I asked if he had ever been to an AA meeting. He replied, "I tried that one time, a long time ago, but I don't fit in with those people. I don't fit in anywhere."
I looked around the table at this odd ball group of guys, and it dawned on me, he'll be able to relate to someone that is sitting at this darn table. There was such a wide range of personalities willing to practice the prinicples. Eager to do a 12 step call.
I spoke to him. "There is a great group of guys here with me that would love to meet and help you, if you would be willing to talk with them. They are a easy group of people, who have been where you are now. Usually, I'd only bring one other person, but I think you will really like these guys... what do you think about my bringing them with me to the hotel so we can talk in person and see if there is anything we can do to help you?" "You are not really the police, tryin' to trick me again are you?" He asked. I told him, "No, we are not the police at all, you can end our visit with you at any time you want and if you want to stay in that hotel and continue drinking we will leave without a problem." He started laughing, "you guys don't give up do ya? The last time ya tricked me was by calling my house and telling me I won a TV, that I had to go to the store to pick it up, as soon as I walked out my front door to go get it, ya jumped on me and arrested me for an old warrant". I laughed with him on that story. "We arn't the police.. wait til you see us through your peep hole in the door. You will immediately know we are safe, if the police department hires a bunch of guys that looks like us, it will be a very sad day for this community." Everyone at the table laughed. He asked, who ya bringin with ya, whatz der names?" I knew all their faces but not their names so I started to ramble some..."theres beer belly bob, hairy larry, Sammy Suit Up, tighty whitey, the Pierce brothers, and me, my name is John".
Silence
"Okay, bring those wirdo's over here and I'll put up the bottle while we talk"
We got to the hotel room, knocked on the door. It opened and there stood the saddest looking man I had seen in a while. Buggers running down and over his lips, tears running from his blood shot eyes, standing at a 20% angle as he tried to size us up, in only his boxer shorts. I reached out my hand to shake his, introduced myself, got a .."sorry I don't look better" response from him. I simply assured him, as I looked back at the rest of the guys..."You'll fit in just fine with us".
One hour later he was in detox, and smiling a smile that can only be produced by a drunk alcoholic feeling a real sense of hope at last.
The group that accompanied me on this journey all met back at the resturant. The younsters were carrying on, laughing and insinuating that they felt their Higher Power gave them a chance to be someones "Angel" today. The man in the suit, with 11 days sober, got all teary eyed and said, "I feel like my Higher Power sent me to the hotel room of an Angel. All I did today was think about having a drink and as soon as I saw that man and his condition, my desire to drink vanished".
I asked them all..."Do you know how we determine a sucessful 12 Step call?" One replied, "we got him in detox". The rest looked a bit puzzled. I replied... "We all stayed sober doing it".
Life is good today...... May God Bless each of you, those you love, and the rooms of AA.
Yours In Recovery,
John
-- Edited by John at 02:16, 2005-01-22
Fantastic story John, just shows that alcoholism can affect anyone. Thats one of the things that supprised me when I went to my first meeting, The range of people from all classes of society, all brought together by the same problem and all determined to sort it out. Absolutly brilliant!
Best wishes.
Chris.
John - that was great. I so miss the comeraderie and the way we all just 'fit' together in ways that must appear extraordinary to onlookers, when we head off into the world together.
Please keep sharing your progress. I look forward to it.
In fact - if anyone wants to share their progress in 12 step, H & I, or school visits, it is always really encouraging to read, and helps me remember where I came from and how I got here.
Thanks John,
Nic