MY EYES AND I

MY EYES AND I

"Steve, your eyes are too close."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said--your eyes are too close.  Check 'em out."

So, the next morning I studied myself, my face, in the bathroom mirror.  Ugh! But, even so (with the "Ugh!") I could not see a thing wrong with my eyes. At the next meeting I met an old-timer, and there I got the answer to my question.  He said, "Your I's are too close. When you speak, it is always 'I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I".......

 HIS SOBRIETY DATE APRIL 26, 2010

AS TOLD BY I, I, I, I, I

Met a fellow tonight who had been sober in AA for six years--then six years ago he had one--just ONE!--"fancy" drink, a Mai-Tai.  Well you pretty well know the story, he's been mostly a drunk ever since, these past six years.  His first meeting back into AA was this evening.  And I became the fortunate one to have a coffee with him after the meeting.

A nice telephone conversation with him just ended. I was filled in on his updated life, a nearly verbatim story of so many;  out of work--no paycheck for 9 months, living with parents (he's nearly 50), wife, also an untreated alcoholic, living in a Colorado city (with HER parents), threw him out.  They had been drinking buddies ever since those six long years ago in another state.

Now in Florida, he owns--as of today-- a Big Book, and a 12X12 (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions).  Do you know?  He seemed SO happy to get those books back into his hands. I have given lots of books away, and usually I get the impression that the recipient thinks he is doing ME a favor by accepting a book...how "positive" is that?  But THIS guy wanted a book so bad...and no money (he had put his "last dollar" into the basket), he expressed real gratitude.

I  almost said to him not to put a dollar into the basket, but thought to myself, "This helped me to make my commitment to staying sober some years ago...when I was expected to 'pay my way', even when broke.  It is almost like showing respect for a new person to allow him to pay for his coffee, and Big Book".

And tonight he told me he read "The Doctor's Opinion" for the first time. When he chooses a sponsor, he will be still a friend to me--I can "feel" it.  In a room of more than 100 Peeps, he picked me to talk with. What an honor, that God directed him my way. 

In SO many words, and with my "I's" very close together...I'm just sayin'

--steveroni



 Picture: Deviant Art--Too_Close_by_JaBoy3000