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

Monday, July 5, 2010

Of Gratitude and of Love


WE FLEW HOME


Thankful for all the blessings of the International Convention of AA

Indebtedness I owe to the hopeless, suffering alcoholic, whether 1 day or 36 years--sober.

Rejuvented by 65,000 smiling and very happy sober faces--day and night! OMG!!!

Entering a new phase in sobriety--of Recovery, Unity, and Service

Dismiss self and personally welcome all who step through this door of Alcoholics Anonymous

Just a few thoughts. Of course you noticed--grin! that taking the first letter of each line spelled "TIRED". And that is certainly what I am tonight--we just arrived home in Naples to a thunderstorm of the "magnitude" variety. That is the standard "Summer Welcome" in late-afternoon SW Florida.

Others have reported with much eruditeness convention news to the blogging world. I must say it was TRULY FUN to meet, even if ever so briefly, some of the Peeps of "blog" acquaintance. That's enough about that.

But I DO have an apres-convention short story which will no doubt be lengthened here to ungodly proportion:

This has nothing to do with alcoholism or the convention--or maybe anything at all. Sunday night I was sitting in the lobby of our hotel after midnight.  Blogging, and writing Emails was on my agenda, as usual every night, into the wee hours.  I was dying for a cup of coffee, Starbucks had closed. All alone, in semi darkness I sat writing, when a young girl smiling all over the place, popped out of seeming nowhere and stood before me.

Her words:  "Hello, I see you sitting here every night alone with your computer and a huge cup of coffee. And I see you  have no coffee tonight. Would you like some?" 


OBOY! My angel Flex is with me, and I said that she reminded me of Florence Nightingale.

Lesson to me (again): No person or group owns the monopoly on kindness to strangers. I still feel all one with people, and connected with all creation, no matter how loosely.  Whether I respond or not to that is up to me. The benefits of interconnecting far outweigh any semblance of tranquility in lonely self-aggrandizement.

Not only coffee, but some Apple-cake, water, and that genuine lovely smile all were delivered to this little computer table in the empty lobby. Marissa, born in Spain, told me she worked in the hotel bar--which had all but closed during the AA convention!

I verified for myself again, peeps, that love is everywhere. It is giving, it is an action. It is exemplified frequently in the bestowing of grace, favor, empathy and service to another/others. It can be the trading of a smile, an eye-to-eye connection, an understanding. As with any gift, the nature of love demands not only one who gives, but one who receives--and in beautiful reflection...gives back. When that happens, isn't it just WONDERFUL?

See...I told you I'd drag this out to a length far greater than its worth.

Sober Today.
Love you bloggers.
Wishing for us all--PEACE!

--steveroni

16 comments:

steveroni said...

LOVE it!

S. Susan Deborah said...

Welcome Home dear dear Stevie. I can now ask you to belt out all your interesting stories and experiences at the AA convention.

I am so glad that you had a lovely time out there. Sometimes when you go to a different place, there is a certain newness to everything.

God bless the fiddle-man.

Joy and love,
Susan

Shadow said...

you bring out the best in people! that why these wonderful things keep happening to you. that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

Maha said...

First of all, I want to tell you, I truly missed reading your posts and was glad to find that you made one at last. You are really a beautiful person and that's why you're capable of seeing beauty everywhere.
Wishing you a life full of health and happiness.

Kathy Lynne said...

that is sweet!

Brian Miller said...

welcome back steve...smiles.

dAAve said...

I'm glad the 2 of you made it back safely - even to a thunderstorm of magnitude.
It was great to meet you and be able to put a face to the name and to this blog.
In Atlanta, you'll get to be an oldtimer!

Anonymous said...

You are so correct: love comes in so many ways.. a smile, a greeting, a hug, a servants heart.
Thank you for sharing and encouraging me to show genuine kindness toward others.
Have a happy day!
:) The Bach

Syd said...

Nice that you had an outstanding time. Glad for a safe return.

Unknown said...

I loved your story today. I was less than patient with a man in line yesterday at our feed store. He was rude..and so was I. :;sigh:: Today I will respond differently. A kindness can change the world for a person. Thank you for the reminder. Glad you got back safely.

♥namaste♥

izzy said...

Small miracles just when we need them! so glad- it renews us and
reawakens gratitude.
Iam about to post a belated 55- (or is it an early one ?) I got a nice mini vay-kay over the weekend- quite spur of the moment!

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

So glad you had a wonderful time, and glad you're back :)

drybottomgirl said...

Glad you had safe travels, and wonderful travels. Be kind to strangers, they're angels that walk among us......

Nevine Sultan said...

It's so good to see you back, Steve. And I'm so happy that you enjoyed your time at the convention. As for that "angel" moment you had, well, I've always believed that there are angels hiding everywhere... in the ether... where we never see them... except when they appear... like gentle miracles... and fall upon us with such grace... exactly when we need them.

Thank you for sharing your awesome spirit, Steve!

Nevine

Templeton's fury said...

Greetings from Detroit!

Sounds like your convention was fabulous! Thank you for showing us with less clean time that you can make it one day at a time!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

nice to see your reflections!