Mary--1974
I didn't then even know her name. She could see I was adrift. Sober three months. Living in--to some--the familiar AA limbo. She saw my fearful fear, my hopeless hopelessness, my utter despair. One night in June 1974 she simply walked up and handed me a brand new 24-Hours-A-Day-Book (Then it cost $5, now it's like $16). She did not bark at me to "Get a sponsor" or "Work the Steps" or "You're gonna get drunk again" or "You'll never make it"... She said only, "Here--read this every day", and stuck this book in my hand That was thirty-four years ago. And I still read it every day (Yes, same book!) And I'm still sober. --Steve (July 2008)... Mary died drunk several years later. God bless her! I do!
Added 07/22/08:Funny thing. Mary had said--simply--"read this"...and I did. Some years later, I was given to experience another one of those AA flashes of light (insights) when a friend said to me, "All one needs, to learn how to recover, is contained in the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous), the FIRST THREE WORDS at the top of page 112." Well I looked it up. The first three words (a continuation of a sentence from page 111) are "......................"! How simple, how complete, how true!
Note: You'll have to look it up to find out those three words!
Note 2: "Twenty-Four Hours A Day" book is published by Hazeldon, Center City, MN
2 comments:
I hate to hear about people named Mary dying drunk. But glad she passed it on to you.
It's sad about Mary but she left you with something to remember and to keep you sober.
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