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

Sunday, September 20, 2009

CHANGE IN THE WIND



ANGEL TRUMPETS, a repeat photo.  

A fellow blogger "Glimmer" asked me the other day if this photo was from our back yard.  Naturally I went to one of her several blogs, the one about ANGEL TRUMPETS.  To understand my blog today PLEASE read hers right HERE.



BEGINNING OF EMAIL TO GLIMMER
Dear Glimmer

Yes! Photo is Trumpet Tree in our back yard. 2 years ago I took a shoot off a friend's tree--

Well, the shoot died, and so I paid 50 bucks for a nicely-filled-out 5-foot bush.   After it got "settled in" we were driving home on motor scooters one night.  More than a mile from home we smelled the sweet honey-suckle-like scent all over the neighborhood, which kept getting stronger.  Of course, you know what it was...were we ever surprised, though.

Shamefully,I have neglected to care properly for the Trumpet. I should trim and shape it nicely again, and maybe plant some of the shoots which are coming out from everywhere.

But we LOVE it, "No Matter What" (to use an expression --grin!).  Thanks for your response.

END OF EMAIL.


________________________________________


OK, Peeps.  That set the stage.  In her referenced blog Glimmer explains how she gave her 'pink' Angel Trumpets many chances to come back to life, after they seemed doomed (to an alcoholic death--NO!  Wait a minute here --grin!)...back to reality--they were dying, it seems. She nurtured them, babied them, coddled, prayed over, and cried for them.  Low and behold, after time, they one day showed life, and trumpets began to blare in Glimmer's head.  There WAS a "Glimmer" of hope!


I could not resist seeing my long-expressed thinking, and directing-type behaviors come into play here, and added the following comment on Glimmer's blog:


COMMENT ON  Glimmer's BLOG:

This blog about Angel Trumpets--yours and mine--renewed and validated my recent thinking about certain men I sponsor, and their seeming non-recoveries.  I had long ago decided not to work with "chronic relapses".

The change here is that I've found so MANY who have made it--only by coming back into the rooms time after time after time, and finally--one day:  eureka!  The Mother Lode had been struck.

In other words guys, "Keep coming back."  

My own experience:
 

I shook, sweat, vomited, almost died, when I stopped drinking March 18, 1974.  My first meeting was March 19,1974.  I did not drink after those dates, No Matter What (but did not know those words then).  

So I figured EVERYONE should do it like I did it.  Not so.  Some struggle for years, in-and-out, before it takes hold.  Sadly--others never make it.

Now I understand this.  And my whole thinking has changed.  I (suddenly, really!) have more compassion for those who find it SO difficult to stay sober.  We ALL have problems with which we deal...constantly!  

And I now (again) realize the guy who is still drinking could have been ME, if you all had not shown ME tender, patient care, and had not loved me back to health.  For I was deathly sick in body, mind, and spirit (soul).


Thanks to God, for bringing me here to your blog, which I would probably not have read, had you not commented on mine.  Thank you for letting God use BOTH of us!

Sorry about the length of this comment.

Peace!

END OF COMMENT



So, Peeps, do you see what I see here.  This is CHANGE in me on several levels, one of several major psychic changes which happened over and during my scooter ride to Virginia.  These past three weeks have been life-changing for me in ways that only I know, but a few of which I'll share with you during this week.


I sure wish you Peace, Peeps.
I sure LOVE you, Peeps.
I sure NEED you, Peeps.
Steve

10 comments:

Anonymous :) said...

Your blog is refreshing. I'm sure your life is too. I love people with the guts to change. You are one of the most alive writers in the blog world. Truly blessed.

Margie said...

You are such an inspiration, Steve!
I love reading your posts.

With the first light of sun
Bless you
When the long day is done
Bless you
In your smiles and tears
Bless you
Through each day of your years
Bless you.

As always
Margie:)

John DeFlumeri Jr said...

WE never apologize for sharing the good words, NEVER.

John DeFlumeri Jr

Glimmer said...

Hey, it's me, Glimmer! Thanks for the shout out. I do so love looking at that picture of the trumpets.

I only have two blogs, btw, the gardening one and another that is sort of a southern remembrey, I guess. Maybe I need to start another. Kidding.

I'm glad to be of service in some little way. Bests to all.

Anonymous said...

Great message, Steve.

Tall Kay said...

My sponsor calls them "chronic recoverers"...because they keep comin' back. We are so blessed for the willingness to 'just stay'. God bless you Steve-o.

Enchanted Oak said...

After drinking again after 15 years of sobriety (I had stopped doing the things that got me sober in the first place), I've had two years of relapses to fess up to. I was always welcomed back by people who said, Keep Coming Back, and Thank God you Made It Back. The gift of desperation kept me coming back. It's been 18 months now, and sobriety is better than ever, due to a merciful God, great AA fellowship, and 100 percent commitment to the spiritual kit of tools. Now I pray for newcomers to be given the same gift of desperation, to be willing to go to any lengths for sobriety. Never give up!

Anaya said...

And we do need you here,Steve. Your blog is such an insperation. Thanks for all your sharing.

Gin said...

((((STEVE)))) You always seem to know what to say. It takes a long BLONG or COMMENT, but you always know what to say...(smile)

Syd said...

I sometimes don't have as much compassion for the chronic relapsers as I would like. But every day I pray for those that are still sick and suffering and hope that they too will know peace, happiness and God's will.