Everyday I check the arrest listings for the county where I live in Florida...Two reasons really...One to see if my nephew made it back in there...The other to see if I recognize any of of my AA brothers and sisters. Do you know on average I see two or three a week. Mostly DUI...Trespassing...Driving with a suspended license...Open container type of stuff. A couple days ago I saw a guy I thought was doing pretty well...He got a DUI and a driving with a suspended license..I'd see this guy at morning...noon and night meetings...He had about 8 months...He shared a lot...Talked good AA....He was even chairing meetings I'd walked into.
He did everything but work the program. I saw him at a noon meeting today...He bonded out...He still may face some jail time....But he said two things to me that made me smile. He said "I got a sponsor and I have to stop playing around and work these steps." And he said "If you are ever wondering what happens to the people you see in meetings that just disappear...They're in jail."
I learn from this kind of stuff.....Jails, institutions or death...This is for real.
You know...I used to think that. My last couple years drinking I knew that is exactly what I was doing...And I didn't think there was any way out of it. I almost wanted it to end because it hurt so fricken bad. I was blessed a brother threw me into a rehab because he didn't want to watch me die... and my coundelor gave me a Big Book... And a kind lady there took me to a meeting....And I haven't had a drink since....That's God working.
Hi Stepchild! There are a lot of ways to educate ourselves in sobriety....that's for sure. Checking the mugshots is certainly one of them that I hadn't thought of. But, yep....it's an education all right. I guess it's called "being observant". Speaking of which, please allow me to share this bit of experience. As I sat in A.A. meetings, I watched and listened to the A.A. members that I saw who were staying sober and happy. I paid attention to what they did, and what they didn't do. In short, I carefully observed them. From speaking to them after meetings, I learned that all of them were always working the Steps. I also learned that they prayed regularly and helped others. This particular section of people were about 40% of all the A.A. members I knew. I found that interesting. I also noticed that there were about 60% of people I knew who would come back after terrible relapses and tearfully talk about the horrors they went through and how messed up their lives were. After the meetings, I would catch them outside and ask them this question: "When you relapsed, what Step were you working?" Without fail, ALL of them answered that they were NOT WORKING ANY STEP at that time when they relapsed. This I found even more interesting. Over the years, I've been taught by the successes I observe and the failures I observe. Thanks for letting me share. Blessings, Mike D.
Agreed Mike....Our literature doesn't tell us...Rarely have we seen a person fail that greases his ass on a chair at meetings...I too have seen the results...This is an action program...Without that action...The results are nil. Thanks for the share.
