I saw this a few years ago at the company I used to work for. It comes from a motivational company called Simple Truths. They talk about how water, at 211° is hot. But at 212° it boils. Boiling water produces steam, and steam can power a locomotive, ships… all manner of machinery. Steam powered turbines provide 80% of the world’s electrical power. That one extra degree makes all the difference.
How does this affect my sobriety? Because I know I can be doing more for my program. I’ve have several commitments, make a meeting just about everyday, I’m sponsoring a guy…blah, blah, blah. But I’m missing out on some key parts of this program…mainly meditation in the morning and reflection at the end of my day. I heard a guy say that his head was like Grand Central Station and his thoughts were the trains and damn if he didn’t take a ride on each one them while he was trying to meditate. That’s me! As for reflecting at night…forget about it…I never remember. Maybe y’all got some tips for me. They would be appreciated. If I could turn it up the extra degree, increase my conscious contact with God, what kind of difference could that mean? I had a friend that used say “Ain’t nothing’ to it but to do it.” Perhaps that’s some of the best advice I could get.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
In A New York Minute
You hear this term all the time. Things change in an instant, in the blink of an eye. One minute you’re enjoying your Labor Day weekend, having a few beers and off- roading with a friend. Your little boy is strapped in his car seat in the back laughing and giggling as you bounce over rocks and bumps. And when you come upon a river, your judgment, clouded by alcohol, also clouds the possibilities of what could happen. Below is something that happened in an instant
Sep 7, 2010... The California Highway Patrol says a 1-year-old boy has drowned after his drunken father drove an off-road vehicle into a river in the San Bernardino County desert. CHP spokesman Joaquin Zubieta says the Suzuki Samurai plunged Monday night into 9 feet of water in the Mojave River in Apple Valley. The driver had been off-road driving and was inching the SUV into the water when it plunged and rolled over. Zubieta says 23-year-old ______ and a 19-year-old passenger escaped but couldn't get ______‘s 16-month-old son out of the baby seat. ______ was booked for investigation of manslaughter and driving under the influence and remained jailed Tuesday. Apple Valley is about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Don Henley wrote a song titled In A New York Minute. There is a line in that song which runs through my mind “Somebody going to Emergency, Somebody’s going to jail”. I pray for this young father and mother and for their unimaginable loss. I pray that the Peace of God be upon them. And I pray that if the father is like us that he find our fellowship.
Sep 7, 2010... The California Highway Patrol says a 1-year-old boy has drowned after his drunken father drove an off-road vehicle into a river in the San Bernardino County desert. CHP spokesman Joaquin Zubieta says the Suzuki Samurai plunged Monday night into 9 feet of water in the Mojave River in Apple Valley. The driver had been off-road driving and was inching the SUV into the water when it plunged and rolled over. Zubieta says 23-year-old ______ and a 19-year-old passenger escaped but couldn't get ______‘s 16-month-old son out of the baby seat. ______ was booked for investigation of manslaughter and driving under the influence and remained jailed Tuesday. Apple Valley is about 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Don Henley wrote a song titled In A New York Minute. There is a line in that song which runs through my mind “Somebody going to Emergency, Somebody’s going to jail”. I pray for this young father and mother and for their unimaginable loss. I pray that the Peace of God be upon them. And I pray that if the father is like us that he find our fellowship.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Scouts
At our Monday night meeting last night we had five newcomers, three of which took newcomer chips. One of the oldtimers who has 31 years remarked in his sharing that it was good to see the “scouts” coming in with those arrows stuck in their ass. His statement brought me back to the beginning of this year when I came back into the rooms of AA. That was the description they used for me, another scout crawling back in with arrows stuck in his backside. Of course it meant that I was coming back and reminding everyone that it’s still bad out there and getting worse, but I didn’t understand the arrows in the ass comment. A few months ago the gentleman who used the term on me gave an explanation. Mr. Jim said
“Remember back in the day, the old black and white western movies? The pioneers are heading out west and they’ve got that wagon train going, the trailblazers are out front guiding the way… then all of a sudden the wagon train leaders yells out to “circle the wagons” because an Indian attack is coming. So they circle up those wagons and fight off the attacks and after a while it’s peace and quiet, nothing’s happening. But the wagon train is not sure if it’s safe to move on so they pick some poor soul out of the group to go out and scout ahead… make sure the coast is clear, come back and report what you find. Sometimes the scout makes it back, most times they don’t but the ones that do make it back have the same story…the way is not clear, it’s still not safe out there, we’re going to have to find another way.”
Jim said I was that scout with those arrows sticking out of me and based on my appearance it must have been rough. He said I was lucky to make it back, that I reminded him it’s not safe to leave the circle. Stick with the group and we’ll find another way, a safer way. He’s right. The group has taken this scout in, removed the arrows, helped heal my wounds. They have shown me a new, safer way and told me to stick with the “wagon train”. And if one of those scouts comes in that I shall do the same for them. Amen to that.
Let’s have an arrow free day…
“Remember back in the day, the old black and white western movies? The pioneers are heading out west and they’ve got that wagon train going, the trailblazers are out front guiding the way… then all of a sudden the wagon train leaders yells out to “circle the wagons” because an Indian attack is coming. So they circle up those wagons and fight off the attacks and after a while it’s peace and quiet, nothing’s happening. But the wagon train is not sure if it’s safe to move on so they pick some poor soul out of the group to go out and scout ahead… make sure the coast is clear, come back and report what you find. Sometimes the scout makes it back, most times they don’t but the ones that do make it back have the same story…the way is not clear, it’s still not safe out there, we’re going to have to find another way.”
Jim said I was that scout with those arrows sticking out of me and based on my appearance it must have been rough. He said I was lucky to make it back, that I reminded him it’s not safe to leave the circle. Stick with the group and we’ll find another way, a safer way. He’s right. The group has taken this scout in, removed the arrows, helped heal my wounds. They have shown me a new, safer way and told me to stick with the “wagon train”. And if one of those scouts comes in that I shall do the same for them. Amen to that.
Let’s have an arrow free day…
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Nice Problem To Have
Hey everyone, hope all of you have had a nice and relaxing Labor Day weekend to this point and will enjoy the rest of the day. Our picnic yesterday went quite well yesterday with at least 50 (if not more) folks showing up for some AA fellowship and good food. The weather helped out by providing us with a slight breeze that kept the temperature pleasant. At some point during the picnic I thought to myself that on past Labor Day weekends my biggest worry was if I would have enough booze for the weekend or what lie was I going to tell to get out of an invite for a get together with family or friends. I was always being invited to be with people that loved me on holiday weekends like this (if I didn’t have to work) and I would always say “yeah, sure I’ll be there.” but 9 times out of 10 would flake on out them. Yesterday my only concern was if I had made enough beans… what a nice problem to have.
Some drama this morning at our early meeting. A guy who’s been in and out of the door of our meetings this morning accused a wonderful lady in our group of calling the local PD on him as he was driving to the meeting. His girlfriend is being sponsored by my friend and how he came to this conclusion is unknown but he came in a very threatening manner towards her. I thought at first it was a joke, that he was just goofin’. Luckily there were 2 other guys nearby and they were able to get in between this guy and my friend and hustle him out of the room. The PD was called for sure this time and the matter was settled outside. The mood was definitely tense at the beginning of the meeting but the guy who led the meeting did a fantastic job getting us back on track with the topic of sanity, which he reminded us we were all missing when we walked through those doors. It was a great meeting and we are all praying for the gentleman who had to leave this morning. I pray he comes back. I pray he doesn’t drink.
Some drama this morning at our early meeting. A guy who’s been in and out of the door of our meetings this morning accused a wonderful lady in our group of calling the local PD on him as he was driving to the meeting. His girlfriend is being sponsored by my friend and how he came to this conclusion is unknown but he came in a very threatening manner towards her. I thought at first it was a joke, that he was just goofin’. Luckily there were 2 other guys nearby and they were able to get in between this guy and my friend and hustle him out of the room. The PD was called for sure this time and the matter was settled outside. The mood was definitely tense at the beginning of the meeting but the guy who led the meeting did a fantastic job getting us back on track with the topic of sanity, which he reminded us we were all missing when we walked through those doors. It was a great meeting and we are all praying for the gentleman who had to leave this morning. I pray he comes back. I pray he doesn’t drink.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Texas and Labor Day Weekend
Texas State Fair - Deep Fried Beer VS. Deep Fried Frozen Margaritas
Why drink your beer when you can eat it? Saw the inventor of this frying these up on Fox News. They sort of look like raviolis and were filled with Guinness. It’s a very creative idea but the look on the host’s face after he tried one summed up what I thought of it…Ewwww. Perfect for Homer Simpson though…Hmmm, fried beer…Doh! The Deep Fried Frozen Margarita sounds better. It includes a funnel cake batter mixed with either tequila or tequila-flavored wine, dusted with margarita mix and served in a salt-rimmed plastic glass. It tastes just like a margarita, although it won't produce much of a buzz. Being the alcoholic I am, if one is good then a dozen is better. Can I get these by the pitcher?
Great…now I can get drunk, fat and annihilate my cardiovascular system all at once…
It’s Labor Day weekend y’all. Our Friday noon 12 and 12 meeting is throwing a picnic. I’ll be burnin’ burgers and hot dogs, making crock pot beans, playing softball and having a good time, all things that I usually avoided doing in my old life because it would interfere with my drinking. God and Alcoholics Anonymous has given me the chance to have two lives in one lifetime. I am so thankful for this new one. Have a great weekend everybody, a great sober weekend…
Why drink your beer when you can eat it? Saw the inventor of this frying these up on Fox News. They sort of look like raviolis and were filled with Guinness. It’s a very creative idea but the look on the host’s face after he tried one summed up what I thought of it…Ewwww. Perfect for Homer Simpson though…Hmmm, fried beer…Doh! The Deep Fried Frozen Margarita sounds better. It includes a funnel cake batter mixed with either tequila or tequila-flavored wine, dusted with margarita mix and served in a salt-rimmed plastic glass. It tastes just like a margarita, although it won't produce much of a buzz. Being the alcoholic I am, if one is good then a dozen is better. Can I get these by the pitcher?
Great…now I can get drunk, fat and annihilate my cardiovascular system all at once…
It’s Labor Day weekend y’all. Our Friday noon 12 and 12 meeting is throwing a picnic. I’ll be burnin’ burgers and hot dogs, making crock pot beans, playing softball and having a good time, all things that I usually avoided doing in my old life because it would interfere with my drinking. God and Alcoholics Anonymous has given me the chance to have two lives in one lifetime. I am so thankful for this new one. Have a great weekend everybody, a great sober weekend…
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Lest we forget
The other night a young lady came into to our meeting. She was a 10 or 15 minutes late. She came in with that faraway, disconnected look on her face and she sat at the table rocking back and forth in her chair fidgeting with her fingers and fingernails, then with her hair and back to her fingers. We were reading from As Bill Sees It and when it came her turn she read and began to share with us. She had had two years sober until three weeks ago. She is coming out of an abusive relationship, the boyfriend is in jail, and three weeks ago she was going to have a drink just to take the edge off…”We are without defense against the first drink”…Being out of her relationship was an obvious relief but she grieved over her lost sobriety. Nothing had changed she said, oblivion was waiting, she had nowhere else to go… “Quicksand stretched around me in all directions”… She was at the meeting with less than twenty-four hours from a drink. She said she was desperate for her sobriety…”we sought the same escape with all the desperation of drowning men“…After she shared all the obligatory phrases were uttered welcoming her back. The ladies surrounded her after the meeting surely offering comfort. I hope she keeps coming back and works the program with the desperation she feels now.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tightrope
Someone asked me about the picture I’m using for my profile. It is the CD cover for the great Stevie Ray Vaughan’s last studio album titled In Step. The title refers to SRV’s sobriety at the time. After years of hard drinking and other issues SRV was “In Step” with his sobriety. It’s been twenty years since he passed away on 8/27/90 and although I’ve always loved this album some of the songs and their lyrics have new meaning to me. I listen with new ears….Sober ears.
Tightrope - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Caught up in a whirlwind can't catch my breath,
knee deep in hot water, broke out in a cold sweat
Can't catch a turtle in this rat race,
feels like I'm losin' time at a breakneck pace
Afraid of my own shadow in the face of grace,
heart full of darkness, spotlight on my face
There was love all around me but I was lookin' for revenge,
thank God it never found me, it would have been the end
Walkin' the tightrope, steppin' on my friends
Walkin' the tightrope, it was a shame and a sin
Walkin' the tightrope, between wrong and right
Walkin' the tightrope, both day and night
Lookin' back in front of me, the mirror's a grin,
through eyes of love I see I'm really lookin' at a friend
We've all had our problems, that's the way life is,
my heart goes out to others who are there to make amends
We've been walkin' the tightrope, tryin' to make it right
Walkin' the tightrope, every day and every night
Walkin' the tightrope, bring it all around
Walkin' the tightrope, from the lost to found
Walkin' the tightrope, stretched around the world
Walkin' the tightrope, save the boys and girls
Walkin' the tightrope, let's make it right
Walkin' the tightrope, do it do it tonight
Walkin' the tightrope.
Tightrope - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Caught up in a whirlwind can't catch my breath,
knee deep in hot water, broke out in a cold sweat
Can't catch a turtle in this rat race,
feels like I'm losin' time at a breakneck pace
Afraid of my own shadow in the face of grace,
heart full of darkness, spotlight on my face
There was love all around me but I was lookin' for revenge,
thank God it never found me, it would have been the end
Walkin' the tightrope, steppin' on my friends
Walkin' the tightrope, it was a shame and a sin
Walkin' the tightrope, between wrong and right
Walkin' the tightrope, both day and night
Lookin' back in front of me, the mirror's a grin,
through eyes of love I see I'm really lookin' at a friend
We've all had our problems, that's the way life is,
my heart goes out to others who are there to make amends
We've been walkin' the tightrope, tryin' to make it right
Walkin' the tightrope, every day and every night
Walkin' the tightrope, bring it all around
Walkin' the tightrope, from the lost to found
Walkin' the tightrope, stretched around the world
Walkin' the tightrope, save the boys and girls
Walkin' the tightrope, let's make it right
Walkin' the tightrope, do it do it tonight
Walkin' the tightrope.
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