LET'S TAKE A RIDE TO SERENITY!

One of the blogs I follow daily contains 

a particularly spiritual message today.

Please check Dulce out HERE

ATTACHMENTS OR REAL HAPPINESS?

WARNING: This is deep stuff-at least, for me.
 

Hopefully, we keep on learning, and it becomes FUN.  E.g., this sentence in a message two years ago to a favorite "artist" blogger, taken out of context:

"...when I read your messages, and you read mine (as now?) there is a special happiness which arises, and it is good...."

Example:  I used to write something like: "It sure makes me happy when I receive a note or a call from you..." or something like that.  This implies that  my happiness is dependent on your writing or calling me...and that's erroneous, on several levels. 


Today's inspiration--this is an edited repeat post of maybe a year or two ago--came to me in a small vest-pocket-sized booklet of De Mello's final Meditations. Topic is 'love'...of course, being a Jesuit, he's an expert! Oh Yeah? 

Please note that the following is an excerpt. It has to do with attachments to people, places, and things...mainly (I think) PEOPLE, and really needs the brief background of the chapter for true understanding:
From THE WAY TO LOVE, the last meditations of Anthony De Mello, page 58, slightly edited: 

"....I will not longer say to my friend, 'How happy you have made me.' For in so saying I flatter her/his ego and manipulate her into wanting to please me again. And I give myself the illusion that my happiness depends on my friend.  (What a responsibility for her to assume!) Rather I will say, 'When you and I met (meet, talk, write)...happiness arose.'  

That leaves the happiness uncontaminated by her/his ego and mine. Neither of us can take credit for it.  And that makes it possible for the two of us to part with no attachment to each other, or to the experience which our meeting generated, for we have enjoyed, not each other, but the symphony that arose up in our meeting......"

Peeps, I discern that inside happiness often manifests itself as an outward expression of my realization, my faith, that God is with us, and within us--each of us.  

Please do not ask me how I know this.

I bet I'm gonna be sorry after I hit "PUBLISH POST".....but, here goes...NOW!


SOBER today!
AT PEACE today!
LOVE today


Peeps! Live a good life...TODAY!
--steveroni

A FEW PERSONAL THOUGHTS

SCATTERED THOUGHTS

 

"Things" don't bug me. 

Any more. Much. YEAH...RIGHT! ;-)

I started to write simply that "things don't bug me". Then I got to re-thinking that statement. Oh well, so things really DO bother me? But it turns out that only ME bothers me. Most other "things" are what and how they are supposed to be--usually, that is.  

That elusive word in the Serenity Prayer: WISDOM.

For many years conceptual *wisdom* escaped me, though I tried.  I DID try! Wisdom to Know the Difference. "Why is it so much simpler for others",  I thought. I fought it and thought it.  I gritted my teeth and tried--like some people pray, making it a strenuous activity. So I stopped that. Guess what? No longer concerned, the wisdom-to-know-the-difference was granted me.

So now I have wisdom (come on, YOU know what kind I'm meaning here--grin!), and working backwards in the Serenity Prayer, it is now the Courage to Change which is giving me so much trouble.  It was easy to own that courage to change when I did not know WHAT to change.  Damn "wisdom!!!"

VISITOR from Chicago

This morning at a meeting one of the dozen visitors from "up Nowath" announced he was from Chicago.  A little later, one of our Naples Peeps, a regular said, "I got sober in Chicago". In my own formerly-habitual manner I wished to say, "Well, I got sober in Chicago. Once. For about two hours! Then I woke up, and started in on my vodka again."  Well, so much for resolution. Now, where did I stash that bottle?

On alcoholic "COMPARISONS"...

Ya know how many of us compare with one another's drunk stories, and sober stories. Some say, "Oh, I was better than HIM!"  Or..."I drank more than HER!". In other words, the old "I'm better than" and "I'm worse than" syndrome. Well, for a long time now, I have felt--truly--no better nor worse than. I am only the word "than"....(please do not ask me what I mean here--I do not know--grin!)

The word here is not to compare, but to Identify--I now Identify with the THINKING, I don't compare with the DRINKING--so important, this.

Last, certainly not least--for today--STAYING HAPPY

Peeps do not disturb me much, no matter what they espouse, or say--except on weekends...well, also week DAYS, I guess--grin! Actually, that was a lie--I am bothered less and less about what peeps think or say about me...because I have found they don't think or say ANYTHING about me--ever! Only wish I had discovered that 70 years ago!

I am free to live, to come and go almost at will, to be sober, to choose, to be at peace, to pray, to love, to roam, to ride that big scooter ("slow down big boy") and to be nearly always HAPPY! I have said for many years, that "www" we used to need in our Internet addresses--that "www" stood for "What a Wonderful World"!

Love to all, and Good Night...Dammmmit, it's late again (sigh!). And let's stay sober today...OK?

Humble Humility?

Sooo, we got fleas.  So what?  

PG and I had to leave the house 

for three hours while exterminators 

murdered millions of fleas.  Burt (cat) or Cat-Burt? had to go away for overnight, he'd been losing hair, 

started looking like a rat.  

Here we are in STARBUCKS blogging, 

can't beat THAT! 

We have two free 

Internet hours daily.  

And a coffee pot which is never empty!

ANNOUNCEMENT!  

Today October 20, 2009, I have lived 13,000 days without a drink or drug--how 'bout that?  How did I DO it?  I didn't drink...and I didn't die!


HUMILITY?  NO WAY!!!

Meeting topic this morning was "humility" and I got to hear lots of people--in under an hour--tell how they have little, none, or wish they had more humility, etc.  Since months and years have slipped (pun) by, I wonder that it's all been said and heard by me now, and I might tune out and live--this hour--in my own VERY pleasant reveries of people and places near and far away.

Then I vaguely hear some guy say, "Humility means I give somebody help or money anonymously"...humbly!? but deep down I WISH the Peeps would find out! So they might congratulate me!!  Nope, I say to myself, that ain't humility--but it's what I sometimes DO.

One time I (humbly) gave a down-and-out fellow a C-Note, and felt SO good for it, like I really could not afford it at the time.  Many years later, I ran into him, now sober about 25 years--and I fully expected him to come up and say "Thank you, Steve.  You really saved my life those years ago."  He is doing quite well for himself now, never married (after the first two) owns a thriving business.  I even entertained that he might choose to pay me back, pat me on the back--or buy dinner, or something?  NOTHING!

SEE where Ego gets me--EVERY time? And so, in later years I decided--and this WORKS, folks--every time I wish to "help someone out" financially or otherwise, I do it with NO strings attached.  That way I avoid concern with Ego/humility, a future resentment, anger, frustration, Pride, even fear.  

And most certainly it is an Ego-deflating action, which we alkies certainly need.  
Although more than ever lately it has become a source of spiritual growth.  I don't mean it is my road to sainthood.  I made a wrong turn somewhere back there--grin!

My road is a simple one now, one foot in front of the other, don't look back too often, never look too far ahead (like, more than an hour or so) during a given day.  Look at tomorrow only as far as my commitments and appointments take me.  Be ready for ALL those to change any moment.  Sobriety allows me to live like this more and more. It is NOT a boring life, it is no longer a "difficult" one.  

Age has its rewards, and this life of minimal anxiety, peace, sharing, observing nature, stresslessness, and living, giving  and loving, praying and meditating, is becoming more a habit, than a willful daily action.  And to do these things with ENTHUSIASM is one of my keys to being HAPPY!
 
OK, Peeps?  Ya still with me? Sober and all? Let's grow together!  I have lots of it to do (growing!)...l love y'all!  PEACE!

HAPPINESS IS WITHIN

HAPPINESS IS WITHIN EACH OF US

FLASH FICTION FRIDAY 55
Friday Flash 55 is a story
written in exactly 55 words.
Let the G-Man know if you write one
and read the ones of your fellow writers.

"HAPPINESS"

What can I do to acquire happiness?

Nothing!

Why?

You already have happiness.

Why do I not feel so happy?

Because you are busy creating unhappiness.

How do I get what is already mine?

Rid yourself of unhappiness.

How?

Discover what causes unhappiness, and look at that resolutely.

Unhappiness will then delete itself. Happiness remains!

NOTE: It's possible that writing a Flash 55 once-in-a-while will
train me to write blogs of less length than my usual four pages!
The ideas expressed here were obtained from Anthony De Mello,
"The Way To Love"

Today, let us enjoy Peace, Sobriety, and Love for one another.

Love you, Peeps!
Steve E

TRIVIA

The sperm whale sometimes dives as deep as two miles

WEDNESDAY: STEVE'S NEW LAPTOP

Leisurely installing programs and setting up everything
"my way" on new Lap "FLEX 2", this is HUGE fun for me!
I'm in "Swine heaven" or is it "Hog heaven"? Background
photo is compliments of Mary Christine's Blog
"One Sober Alcoholic" (CLICK HERE) Those tulips
suvived a brutal winter "somewhere in the foothills
of the Rockies: Colorado"

Wednesday: NEW LAPTOP!!!!

Written Tuesday Night:

When I got home from my Tuesday meetings, I looked online and smiled as I saw my 17" Laptop was "on the truck" at Fed-Ex, and rolling. Excitement. A friend received a new computer recently, and I asked him if I could attend the 'unveiling'. He seemed to think that idea a bit crazy, said, "Steve it's JUST a computer." JUSTA...JUSTA computer? God, man! I'll bet you go to movies and read books and visit zoos and eat out and don't drink and go to meetings and stuff...-grin!

I would have liked to have ordered a Mac, but did not feel like learning a new OS at this time (Operation System!). So maybe next time--five years? Company I order from is named Puget Systems (CLICK HERE), and my PC is six years old and runs and looks like new. They build a GREAT computer--but they ain't cheap! Comparing a DELL or HP, or SONY to one custom-built by Puget, is exactly like comparing a Chevrolet to a Lexus...OK? (When I call Puget, which is located in the far NW corner of our country), most often the fellow answering the phone is Jon Bach, the owner of the small company. No calls to foreign countries like India, or Cincinnati.

What does all this have to do with my Recovery Program? Well, I don't have a clue! I DO know it allows me to write Blongs, and to read my peeps' blogs, and to leave comments, and to study Steps, Traditions and History of AA. It has enabled me to befriend some wonderful people I well might NEVER have met. I can go 'chat' on TSR, "The Second Road" (CLICK HERE), and read innumerable messages on AA Online meeting sites.

Also (maybe?) a computer keeps me out of trouble...well, it keeps my mind working. Online Porn had nothing I ever wanted or needed. Too many live ones around, why settle for paper? Even back when guys were ogling Playboy and other crap, I felt that was such a waste of time. Lost time. So where was I spending MY time? Why, in a bottle of course, where else?

Anyway, ya got the idea now, that I'm an extra happy camper with a new and powerful toy. So when I say, things like "Oh I'm so happy", etc., just realize where my head is these daze. Love all you Peeps, really I do. And wish you all health and happiness, and we SHALL all stay sober today, right? RIGHT!

In LOVE and Service,
Sincerely.
Steve E

Hopeless, Helpless, and Happiness

Pammie, Note: "Cookie" Meeting Tonight at Naples group.

HOPELESS, TO HAPPY!

Ya know, I am finding that the more meetings I attend of Alcoholics Anonymous, the more opportunities arise where I might serve. Instead of lurking in the rear row of seats once--or three times--a week, and gaining nothing, I stay not only sober, but remain a "part of" your world of happy, recovering ex-drunks!

Imagine: (Big Book, Forward to 1st Edition) ..."from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body"...to..."remaining a 'part of' your world of happy, recovering ex-drunks!" (Steve E. one paragraph up from here *) As I meditate on these distantly-related, almost opposing quotes, God enters my picture. As Maker of all that is seen and unseen He is visioned. HOPELESSNESS was seen, and HAPPY, RECOVERING EX-DRUNKS is seen. But all the in-between stuff, the Spirit moving ever so slowly through you and into me, and back again; through your life, and into mine, and back again--was and is the realm of the UNSEEN.

And I thank God, and you people for my seen and unseen existences prior to, and during my second life, this new life of--and in--sobriety.

YOU WERE ONLY FOOLIN' (YOURSELF)

This short story was inspirationally remembered from a remark by Mary LA (click!) that she hid empty liquor bottles in her bedroom, and yet others where she would see them as she arose before breakfast. My story:

There was a time--and this I do remember--that I was so positive I'd run out of booze, that I kept a closet full of cases of full quarts of Vodka, Bourbon, Scotch, and Gin. While preparing myself for work, I'd take a swig (long pull, or gulp) from each bottle, until I was satisfied.

And then I methodically filled each of those quarts (minus 4 oz.) with water, until I got all the way to the last one. In this way, I guaranteed myself spirits for a longer period of time, and saved money.

But truly, it was neither money nor guarantees. All that mattered to me was that each morning, I'd check my closet first thing, and find ALL the bottles filled to the brim. Sheer JOY, euphoria! It just never occurred to me that...I mean...Ummmmm...WHO was I kidding?

Now I can say with personal knowledge and with truth, that "Some are sicker than others"!

Real, real, sick-a-roni
Who is seemingly getting better!
And, in LOVE and service,
Sincerely,
Steve E.

Amended: WEDDING DAY plus "K" (Update!)

Amended: As I went to lobby at midnight to write this blog, I found "K" (see below) sitting on floor by elevator, talking on her cell. She told me this morning that she was so excited (at midnight!) about her Saturday--and her unanticipated AA meeting--she had to call her sponsor in Virginia and give her the good news! -SE

THE WEDDING

People, I have played violin for at least 500 weddings. Some were for relatives, some friends, but most contracted for, through agents. Today's wedding in Tampa FL was for Anna's son, and it was one of the most fun for me.

I got to meet so many relatives and friends for the first time, nearly eighty people who I did not know until today. I must say that attending were the usual number of future "customers" for our fellowship--lots of prospects.

SURPRISE FOR STEVE E.

But the following is my reason for blogging tonight. A little background first. Back in late July or early August 2008, I blogged about a girl named "K", a then-unknown (to me) relative, age 17, who happened into our midst one Thursday night.

Next morning at 7AM in Naples, she attended her first ever AA meeting. She 'looked' then (to me) like she really 'wanted' to stay sober. And somehow I 'knew' she would soon be one of us. Ya know how after a number of years we achieve a certain 'intuition' about certain people, etc? And once-in-awhile it turns out we are correct? -grin!

Periodically, but not often, we have been in touch with K, who lives "up nowath". At the hotel, where Anna and I are staying for the duration of wedding celebrations, I stepped outside the lobby for a minute. Who do I meet, like, blocking my path? Of course, it was K--what a wonderful moment for me, to reaquaint with this beautiful young high school senior, who I had not seen since last summer.

She was smiling a smile which could adorn only the face of one who is happily sober. We hugged. I met her Mom, Dad, and brother. A few whispered remarks with K confirmed with me she had stayed sober since last July 30 (2008).

Her sponsor told her she must sponsor someone, and so she now has a "sponsling"! K is active in her home group. I must tell you all I am tearing up with happiness as I write this! Don't forget, we had the joy of taking her to her first AA meeting! I had not even expected her to be here. Thank You, God!

NEXT: UNBELIEVABLE! AND YET?...

OK, here goes. Anna and I were on the way to the wedding venue this morning. Anna saw, out of the corner of her eye, a triangle hanging over a garage of an old house. We decided to stop on the way back, after the wedding stuff. Well, as you might know, it IS an "old" AA-type club house, with a meeting at 8:15 PM.

We decided to go, called K, and she sounded "overjoyed", said she really needed a meeting. We did it! We are all happy campers, praising our Higher Power for what He has accomplished for us! What a WONDERFUL way to end a day!

And today, Sunday morning, we'll breakfast together, before returning to our respective cities...homes.

Our Higher Power DID do one more thing for us last night. He pointed out--after our AA meeting--a Dairy Queen store, where we all fell in love....with the concoction named TURTLE SUNDAE ($5). My advice: If ya never tried one--DON'T! It can be like that "first drink" thing we've all heard about.

Anyway, blogger friends, this was another of many sober, happy days. I feel more love than usual tonight for God, AA, family, and YOU blogger people--and I really mean that! Thank you all for being here!

In Love and service,
Sincerely.
Steve E.

HANG OUT--AT THE OPERA?????

LA BOHEME (Puccini)

LET'S HANG OUT!

Several days ago I met this fellow (2 yrs sober) at a morning meeting. We 'connected'--you know how that is--and so we now sit together when we attend the same group. This morning we had breakfast after, and it turns out he'd been 'looking for' someone to HANG OUT with when he is in Naples. Lives in Chicago, but his elderly parents live here. I'm already enjoying this friendship.

Another guy was here couple weeks ago, and we somehow 'connected'. He is now back in Pennsylvania, but called me yesterday. How honored I was to be chosen as one of the recipients of his time, trust, and man-to-man talk. He'll be back down to Naples in December, and hopefully we will again HANG OUT for some hours.

Another man I met last week, (Isn't it funny? Wonder why none of these men have names? -grin) who will be in Naples until mid-February. He, well...he also wants to talk and HANG OUT, until he goes wherever he needs to travel. NOTE: I call HANG OUT..."working our 'beautiful' God-inspired, Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous". The men I know usually don't realize that when they use the expression "Hang Out" -grin!

Of course, most of you blogger peeps know that I am not in that group of "GLUM LOTS Anonymous". Where I would put myself would be in a group called the "Smiling Enthusiasts". Our MOTTO: "We absolutely Insist On Enjoying Life". We might regularly meet, but I believe we'd be one of those "LOV-NMM" Groups "Lots-Of-Visitors...Not-Many-Members" groups.

Anyway, I am really happy that God sends me people to be with, to talk with, and to share breakfast. NOTE: We went this morning to the restaurant where a group of about sixteen long-timers regularly eat after the meetings. One person--whose program I respect and admire--calls them the "INVENTORIES-R-US" Breakfast Club. (OUCH!) I hope one of them is reading this, YEAH! -grin.

ANOTHER TOPIC: OPERA

This week I'm really tied up in opera rehearsals and PEOPLE...I'M LOVING IT!!! Years have passed since I played Opera, in Cincinnati, Ohio during the summers. This one is Puccini's LA BOHEME, and is a very NON-boring type of entertainment. But I will see little of that from the orchestra pit (I play violin FYI).

Performances are Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Sunday night I PROMISE to blog about this experience, and a little bit of what role Alcoholics Anonymous had to play in my enjoyment of this new slice of life--which I thought was never again to be within reach. (BTW, I got comp tickets for Prayer Girl and a friend for Friday night.)

Between now and then, I'm sure gonna miss reading most of your blogs, and commenting in my (ahem!) usual one-or-two-word fashion...BIGGEST GRIN!!!

ONE SOBER HAPPY ALCOHOLIC is signing off for now, with L.O.V.E. for all that is God, all that is AA, and all that is YOU, my blogger FRIENDS, and, like it or not, I truly mean every word I write to you. SO THERE!

REALLY, I'm dying to meet f2f with some of you at Annie K's home 12-14 June, and crash some meetings together--and get a few hugs {{{}}} along the way -grin. And talk, and LAUGH, and talk some more, and...oh, yes, EAT! I'll bring my violin, unless there is an objection...

Who posted this?...and WHEN, did you say?

PLEASE READ WHAT MY HEART IS SAYING

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT AWARD

My TRUE THANK YOU to Jess for sharing the Christmas Spirit Award with me. I am so grateful for those who share so willingly of their experience, strength and hope...and this award gives ME another one of those moments to express my caring, my sharing.

OK...MY sharing the SPIRIT OF THE AWARD: In the spirit of our Beautiful Twelve Traditions, I'm not going to designate certain award "winners"...so, if you have not yet received this award, consider yourself one of MY FAVORITE PEOPLE (you ARE, you know!), copy-and-paste the award using your Blogger Dashboard. Thank you SO much, and join us here.

These are rules: Shhhhhhh: -whispering-"I don't DO rules very well!"
* the person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas

* link back to the person who gave you the award

* list 5 things that you love about Christmas. if you can’t limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space! steveroni ran out of SPACE!!!

* pass the award along to as many people as you like. that can be 1 or 50 to keep the Christmas cheer going!

* let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment

SHARING THE SPIRIT OF LOVE

(This is my kinda topic--"sharing love")

1. RIDING MY SUZUKI BERGMAN during this Christmas season, I'm out in the open on the roads. I like to look around at stop lights, and smile and wave at people. They cannot mistake the love I'm experiencing. Invariably, they wave back, or open windows, and say "Howdy", or "Have a safe ride!". I figure they just cannot believe there's this old guy out there being so happily ensconced, and enjoying life, no matter what...even a blong, red, stop light!

2. CASHIER @ Sam's Club was having an obvious 'bad hair day'--and he was bald! So Prayer Girl said something to him, and it turned out he was NOT angry with working through the holidays, or angry with 'uncouth' customers. He had a bad cold, he thought it might even be the flu, and he was suffering physical pain in a couple other areas. We left him laughing, happy that he had come to work this morning. WHAT POWER You let pass through us, my God!

3. DURING THIS SEASON I have learned that I can have conversations and maybe a--{{{HUG}}}--with my friends, and it means no more than that--we are good friends, staying sober and helping one another one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year, one decade at a time.

4. CHRISTMAS season allows me to realize the gifts God has bestowed on us all. That all through my drunkenness, He was working, using me, working through me. It did not matter to God, that my way of life was not to His liking, He still "brought me home",
as it is thus
with all of us.
we are now back home
to no longer roam
but to live with joys
all us girls and boys.

5. THIS SEASON allows me to return my thoughts to the good things in this world. And I can then be Oh so grateful. And one of those
things I so often forget...is to remember
those who did first set
in motion this sharing,
this wonderful caring
for one another
like sister and brother
this blog community
wonderful unity.
coming apart? but no!
God must will it so
to be for more than three.
for this, God, we thank thee.

I am referring to those who decided a number of years ago, to blog with each other, keeping alive the principles and traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. And I do not even know who they are. I can guess though, that some are from--God, I hate to use the word--Texas, maybe Houston? And some from Colorado? And maybe Illinois? I know who these, our pioneers might be, but I do not thank them, can never thank them enough.

I have been to other blogs now, and am convinced that God directed me here. He did use a couple people--one in particular--to help me along the way to this magnificent place. Thank you, Mary C! For me, there is NO PLACE like our little blogging community, in which you've allowed me to participate.

Admittedly, it seems to have grown far out from its originally imagined and intended bounds. Growth is painful, change is painful, but the results of each can be a new freedom, a new happiness, and new opportunities for me to serve my Higher Power--God--and to spread His message of our Twelve Steps, Twelve Traditions, our paths to sobriety, peace, serenity, and happiness, those qualities of my new life which surpass all my understanding. Thank you BLOGGERS, thank you AA, and thank You God.

I love you all...really I do.
Your blong-a-roni

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2008

With permission, I copied this photo SHADOW published Saturday.
In my "bad place" the following conversation took place between the
feather and the flower:

Feather: "You smell."
Flower: "I know. What can I do about it?"
Feather: "Go to meetings...and DON'T DRINK!
You will die...and STINK"

Steve E. decides to break his anonymity
by publishing a self portrait, taken in Colorado!

THE STORM IS OVER--

TIME TO PICK UP THE PIECES

I heard today: "In AA I got to know the real ME!"

I said to myself: "Noooo...In AA I get to BECOME the real me."

What a day was yesterday! I have learned to 'not go back'. However, It is difficult to turn away my thoughts from the past 24 hours. These hours began with a beautiful "Getting-to-know-you"-type phone conversation with Jenn in Houston, who sounded to be weathering Ike's wrath quite well.

Funny, I felt as if I had known Jenn for a long time--but we've never met, or even spoke before. We do have this common thread in each of our lives--a deadly disease, and a seriousness about a program to recover from it and better our lives. And we make an effort to help others in any way we see fit, that they also may enjoy some of the benefits WE experience. And while we discuss our alcoholism almost daily on-line, I don't believe we even gave it a thought in live conversation. I know we laughed during those few minutes. How wonderful it is! Thank You again, All-Powerful God!

Later, I read on Andrew's Addiction about a "bike-for-sale" ad (with picture of bike, and phone number of owner named Steve--happens to be my name!). L. Made vague reference that it might be that my wife is forcing me to sell the bike. (BTW, that would never happen--or we'd BOTH need lawyers, or maybe paramedics ASAP?) Well, this significance apparently escaped my usual aptness -grin-, until later, when I had to set the record straight (like NOW!) Again, I REVEL in the Email exchanges with my new and true friends in this Blog Community.

A few of us 'bikers' (misnomer, because I ride a scooter, albeit a BIG one!) rode to Ft Myers Beach to a men's meeting, what a FUN trip! I try to go every Saturday. It's the 'ride' and the 'breakfast' after, and oh, yes...of course, almost forgot--the AA MEETING! About 50 men from different towns around two counties attend this Saturday morning event. I have seldom enjoyed 'men's AA meetings' until finding this one.

Then I practiced my violin parts for playing at 7:30 AM mass Sunday morning...I LOVE it! Believe me, when I say I LOVE something (and I say it often here, and everywhere else, too!) it is for REAL!

Attended another AA meeting Sat afternoon, about 50 people, in a discussion out of Big Book, "Chapter To The Wives". That reading has never excited me until today, I decided to pay attention--there's the clue, guys! And, AND--there is SO much AA I found in that chapter today, had never 'seen' it before in all these years. No, I did not "share" my new-found insights--it was not the 'moment'. I'm jes sayin'...

Almost finished here:

Ya know, all of us have been thinking about, and praying for, those friends and their loved ones, living along the Texas east coast, and rightly so. An approaching hurricane, with all its uncertainties, is very stressful for most people.

Just stop though, and think how this terrible, violent storm of nature got us all to focus on others' troubles. I got to pray--or continue praying--for other people. I got to think about--and care for--and wish the BEST of everything for OTHER than "my usual SELF". I got to kneel right here at my computer and say aloud the prayer I was at the same moment writing to someone. Isn't that magnificent? Another item on my 'Gratefulness' List? Definitely!

NOTE: Now that these thoughts are in cyber space, I can "Let Go-Let God".

Have a GREAT sober Sunday everybody!