Cunning, Baffling, Powerful

EXACTLY ALIKE Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. — ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 89 A man came to the meeting drunk, interrupted the speakers, stood up and took his shirt off, staggered loudly back and forth for coffee, demanded to talk, and eventually called the group's secretary an unquotable name and walked out. I was glad he was there – once again I saw what I had been like. But I also saw what I still am, and what I still could be. I don't have to be drunk to want to be the exception and the center of attention. I have often felt abused and responded abusively when I was simply being treated as a garden variety human being. The more the man tried to insist he was different, the more I realized that he and I were exactly alike. Yikes. I honestly don't have anything else to add because this says it perfectly.  I'm no special snowflake.  An alcoholic is an alcoholic. Learning to accept that I'm no different tha...

"OUR SIDE OF THE STREET" We are there to sweep off our side of the street, realizing that nothing worth while can be accomplished until we do so, never trying to tell him what he should do. His faults are not discussed. We stick to our own. — ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 77-78 I made amends to my dad soon after I quit drinking. My words fell on deaf ears since I had blamed him for my troubles. Several months later I made amends to my dad again. This time I wrote a letter in which I did not blame him nor mention his faults. It worked, and at last I understood! My side of the street is all that I'm responsible for and — thanks to God and A.A. — it's clean for today. I like today's reading.  It is at the core of how I'm trying to live my life. I can only be accountable for my mistakes, my decisions, my actions. Since I'm not responsible for anyone else, I will never try to lace my  apologies  or amends with blame. It's the difference between saying ...