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

Sunday, March 7, 2010

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE...THERE IS NOT ALWAYS FIRE



As with others, my poetry is just that-my poetry, whether worthy or not.  However, the blog post is an actual account of several mornings ago


Smoke sent animals scurrying
But I decided to stay
Someone would need help
Before the end of this day.

When I tripped and fell,
On my back I lay
I heard a crackling sound
Then saw it tumbling my way

A huge burnt-out Redwood came
Crashing like out of hell!
Somehow I rolled out of its path,
But from then, all was pell-mell.

I got up, ran, fell again.
If only some water, maybe a well?
Linger--read a little longer
Of the story I have to tell.....

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE, 
THERE IS....

 "We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us."
--One of the "Promises" listed in our Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, p 84

This past Wednesday I woke up to the usual pre-dawn darkness of 5 AM to read some of the Peeps, comment a little, go to 7 AM meeting, etc.   I sat down at my "desk-computer" B.C. (before coffee!) and something seemed different.  

It was a sweet and smoky smell, like a Redwood-Charcoal fire.  Outside I smelled nothing--the natives were neither drunk nor restless, nor burning down their houses. 

OMG!  It was in my own house, this smell--which suddenly had changed from pleasant to unpleasant.  I stopped to ask God, "What next?" Don't know if He answered or not, but I decided to first locate the source, next, call the Fire Department (Caps on purpose), and awaken PG and her daughter.  


I knew there might be little time, so during these side-by-side moments, I was making a mental list of what to grab on the way out, on our hurried way to safety.

Each would make their own decision here, for me it was "computer, medicine,violin, and a pair of shoes".  As I discovered no fire in the house, I hurriedly erected a ladder to check out the attic. All this took less thank a minute of time. Attic provided no evidence.  Nothing!

At once a senior moment happened--I decided to "step back" and have a cup of coffee.  What?  What now?  


Only a few days before, we had bought this exotic coffee (not espresso--grin!), really sweet in flavor, and, well, special.  It was SO special it smelled like a house afire to me!!!  (A tiny bit had spilled onto the hot plate.)

So my false-alarm "fire" was the product of a crushed and cooked bean from South America!   Thank God. 

The "magic" of this episodic quarter-hour, the miracle here, was that I did not panic, nor even stressed, nor rushed.  I  just took one step at a time, to "get it right" the first time, or there would BE no time. 

Being without panic, in a do-or-die situation is not my "normal" but merely what I work to achieve, and it seems to BE working.

And so, I'll stay sober today again.
I'll be at peace today--again.
I'll harbor NO resentments--again today.
And I will show someone LOVE today--again!


Picture:  DEVIANT ART: House_Fire_by_alyssahsadie.jpg

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

That must have been a highly caffeinated brew, if it seemed like the house was on fire!

Thant's how I like my coffee.

Secretia

One Prayer Girl said...

All I can say is that you were very lucky I slept through this whole episode. I'm afraid I might not have been so serene. And - what would I take out?

ME!!! and DOG!

You and daughter would do fine without my help. :)

PG

L'Adelaide said...

are you sure you don't have my new french tea with chocolate? wow, steve, if you can be cool, calm and collected in this, you have learned a "few" lessons , at least! i am so relieved the picture wasn't your house burning down! ;)

Fireblossom said...

Steve, please don't roast your beans in a house fire. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. Turnabout is fair play!)

I awoke one night recently to the smell of ozone. The outlet next to my bed was crackling! Ice dams had formed on the roof and moisture had got into the inside of the wall, and from there to the outlet. Yikes! The flip of a switch at the fuse box assured my house would stay standing, but jeez. Too much excitement for this little witch.

Shadow said...

a coffee bean, wheeeew. not too long ago i also got this burning smell, and for the life of me couldn't trace it, yet, there it was, every time i went up the stairs. turns out, the brass polish wasn't wiped off properly and when i switched the lamp on, it caused the smell. yip, no achievement in panic...

Dulçe ♥ said...

I'd have panicked... as I always do whenever I smell smoke. YOU are a brave men PEEP!

Did you like the coffee?

I love the poem BTW!

Sherry said...

You had me going for a minute...whew!

Andrew said...

Glad it all worked out Steve.

Yup, you know the drill.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

The fun part about the recovery-bloggosphere is that when we're reading about it you're either working it through or it's done, but it's never that you've gone back out if we're reading about it now. Of course there's always the chance that between the time you write and the time we read ...

So lets all pray to stay and be serene and on the beam cause I really love you and PG and all the other recovery peeps I've met here!!!

Unknown said...

I was seriously worried that the picture was of your house. You are THAT good with the poem stuff. I have found that if I use my tools with the little stuff, when the big stuff happens, I don't have to wonder what to do. It took me a long time to get there. I'm so glad it was the coffee--did you save the bean??

Namaste (whew..am glad it was a happy ending)

The Turning Point said...

Caught me.

Loved it.

JF

Kay said...

Now that is some powerful coffee!!! :)

chitowngreg said...

Wow! Kind of like your whole life flashing before your eyes--but only a trial run!! Nice to have something reminding us what we're grateful for without really having to suffer the loss. Enjoy the day!

Wait. What? said...

I'll have a cup of what you are drinking!

Glad it was nothing major!

Anonymous said...

STEVE! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!!!

Anonymous said...

:) Hi my friend

Sharmon Davidson said...

Steve, your blog is truly awesome, and so are you! I very much enjoy your poems. The violin, btw, is my favorite instrument- the one I always wished I could play.

Syd said...

Glad that it was a bean and not a beam.