DRINKING ALCOHOL TAUGHT ME HOW TO FLY
THEN IT TOOK AWAY THE SKY

Monday, February 16, 2009

MADE A LIST...

A COMPLETELY INCOMPLETE LIST

As I read this morning a short Email from a blogger who lives in South Africa, I began to think of that 'other world', the one I know not. The world which is 'real' poor. Sure, most of us are not rich, and we have a small percentage of the truly impoverished. My 'want' comes not from "do I have enough for today". It is more like, "will I have enough for tomorrow?" Fear of the future during these troubles times. Wondering, "How will we make it next year?"

That spells to me a lack of faith, of trust, of willingness to let God take care of tomorrow, if I do my part today. This brings me again to the table of Gratefulness, to the realization that I owe my very life to Alcoholics Anonymous. That is the place God brought me 34 years ago, a shaking, sweating, mentally deranged and physically ill 'mess of pottage'.

So I have lived long enough to continue writing a completely incomplete list of my blessings:

A computer on which to write this list

Visit Syd on TSR chat tonight...Later: TSR would not let me in.

My ignorance--when will I learn?

Electricity to power our home appliances

Water, running at a turn of the faucet

Some of it HOT

A great king-sized bed to sleep on

With sheets and a 517 yr-old pillow

Well, it LOOKS like 517 years old

Mega grocery warehouses

Chili for dinner

Chocolate chip cookies from Anna

A.A. groups and meetings in Naples (all day)

Ethereal thickly-fogged beauty of pre-dawn

Chocolate chip cookies at A.A. (7 AM this morning)

Awesome church music with a children's choir at mass

Suzuki Bergman "executive" 650cc (scooter)

Gallon of gasoline is $2

$8.00 will take me 200 miles to visit my daughter

Shoes and socks on my feet

NOT second-hand

Busy retirement

Able to work, long past retirement date (play violin)

A terrific sponsor (I should call him?)

I DID! And it made me happy--and him, too!

The Second Road--TSR--(IF I can ever get on -grin)

Patience: Try to logon TSR again tomorrow!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Grateful that a blogger let me know how obnoxious it is to "-grin" all the time! Thank you. I'll TRY!

And now, I shall pray for willingness to grow along spiritual lines, as I sign off on this day, and wish all of us to stay sober today, be at peace, LOVE...and BE loved (God IS "Love"!).

Sincerely,
Steve E.

9 comments:

Queenneenee said...

Don't you EVER stop those "grins"! Thats what its all about. We often take all of these things in your gratitude list for granted. We forget how divinely blessed we all are. Thanks for the reminder *grin*

Anonymous said...

I was at a meeting Saturday night and an old-timer was talking about his first meeting, he said he was "shaking like a dog sh*tting chicken bones." For some reason this struck me as so funny, I was giggling the whole meeting. Your second paragraph reminded me of that, I can't stop giggling again...

Shadow said...

how i love your gratitude lists.... so down to earth yet touching!

Syd said...

Great list. You have expressed so much here.
Sorry about TSR--for some reason the site went down. Maybe it was my HP trying to tell me something. Anyway, none of us were able to do the chat thing for over about 20 minutes. Alix is going to re-schedule. Should I dare?

~Christina~ said...

I, too, love your grinning. better to :) than to :(

Great gratitude list, Steveroni!

twodogsblogging said...

Thanks for the gratitude list. So important to recovery, that attitude of gratitude I didn't understand for years in recovery!

~Christina~ said...

Thanks for commenting over on my blog, Steve. Yes I live in Miami, just 2 hrs away fron Naples. Ive been to Naples several times for Al-Anon conventions and other 12 step events.

My son plays tuba is it is his dream to one day play for a symphony. He plays now with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony Orchestra. He loves classical and symphonic music! One day his dream will come true!

Thanks for always writing supportive messages, and especially for sharing about how you missed everything with your child. It helps to hear and see how you have recovered in such an amazing way....megs hugs to you and your beloved Anna.

Femin Susan said...

Hi,
Your blog is really interesting... Good Luck...keep writing.
Blessings to you and your family…….

Zanejabbers said...

Not Grin. That would be, that would be, well that would be sacristeveroni. (NO I HAVE NOT ELEVATED YOU TO THE LEVEL OF GOD. No one gets there. Oh lordy, just keep those grins a coming. If it bothers someone that much, the rest of us won't miss them, but we'd sure as hell miss the "grin."
I'll just have to put that on my gratitude list. Now if they read me, that should really piss them off. Now damned it, I have to do a resentment prayer and a 4th step. What the........... HEE HEE