OUR BLOG FAMILY?

MY ANONYMOUS BLOG FAMILY:
ONLY THE FACES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

Please, in your prayers, mention Bess,
a dear friend of mine, who is in the hospital.
She IS in AA, but not (yet) a blogger.
She has an operable brain tumor.

TO MY SELF I'M TRUE
--AND TO OTHERS, TOO!

The thought of one day (soon in some cases!) meeting face-to-face with blog peeps excites me, really. A LOT! Being sober has given me a desire to meet new people, to share ideas alike or different from my own. I am a very outgoing person since being a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous. 'Overbearing' is a more likely correct word -grin!

On the other hand--at the same time--I began to feel apprehensive about meeting some of you peeps. Are you really who I think you are? And does it even matter. Well it would matter, yes. If you are not who I 'know', who I 'see', who I believe, I will be completely disillusioned. One whole minute each day that thought makes me shudder. Look in a mirror? No! I AM me, and so that is not my fear.

A fellow blogger in a recent Email mentioned to me that his experiences in meeting many online friends finally face-to-face, proved to him that almost all of us ARE just like we blog. In other words, blogs of a loosely knit community of our type, expressing a common illness, and a common solution, well, our writings are a fairly accurate assessment of who we are, what we are, what we seek and how we think, as individuals.

As months roll by (do they ever roll!) I find that what I read that first day on here, is essentially what I'm reading today. I mean that, even with ups and downs, people are not different from who they really ARE. That sounded weird, but I read it again, and "I'll stand by it". Fact is we do not, as bloggers, represent ourselves as anybody else. We are all Popeye's "I yam whut I yam", peeps. Mostly!

And so, back to that deep-in-the-gut excitement--more like enthusiasm--I am again experiencing, I guess it will remain until the moments happen, those moments of meeting my FAMILY of YOU! And that's just the way I feel...it is what I KNOW!

God blesses you all. I do.
And God LOVES you all. So do I.
Sincerely,
Steve E.

THE GAMES WE PLAY

THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

There’s a game going around. I found it at Shadow's blog. I was game to play so she sent me these questions. If you want to play too, check out the rules at bottom of page. NOTE: Please do not read my answers, though!!!

1. If your wife were to give you a surprise, in any shape, form or action, what would please you the most? (sorry, i just had to…)

ANSWER: 'Rena, you got me between a rock and a hard place (sorry, I just had to...) The following is not BS, but just the way I feel today. My bestest surprise from my wife would be for her to secretly organize a face-to-face get-together with some of my/our/your favorite bloggers (say, South Africa? -grin) or Dr Bob's House in Akron OH, or the International Convention in August 2010 (in some place called San Antonio, Texas...or Naples, Florida. Any time, any place, any year, a real surprise! THAT would be the MOST!

2. What favorite saying of yours drives your family crazy?

ANSWER: My "new" (since July '08) favorite saying is "F*ck"...and I learned that right here in AA blogland -grin! I have to place blame on SOME thing...after all, I'm an alkie, right?

3. If you could play any instrument except the violin, which one would you choose? and have you ever played it?

ANSWER: String Bass. I've always "heard" the bass line, when playing violin in symphony orchestras. It is to a work of music, like a foundation is to a building, all else is built upon it. Exciting. Besides, the String Basses play about one note, to every 101 notes played by violins. Nope, I've never played a bass, but probably could without too much training.

4. If you can change one decision you’ve made in your life. which one would that be?

ANSWER: In 1952 I would have joined the Navy. If I was destined to drink like a sailor, I might as well have been one. In fact, I got married, had a child, stayed in college and kept up my 4.0 grade average. In truth, this was my method of evading the draft. In those days, you didn't just run over to Canada (Nothing against Canada...I LOVE it, and the animals which live there...I mean people, I mean PEOPLE!!! PEOPLE...RIGHT, JOHNNY?

5. What one sure thing always lifts your mood when you are feeling down?

ANSWER: A favorite AA meeting and a glad, happy, knowing SMILE, and a big, true hug from a true AA friend--if it's a girl, maybe a peck on the cheek. OR an invitation to coffee and chat (AA). One other remedy I have, is quiet (if possible, isolated) peaceful meditation--just God and I, alone, not busily 'talking'. Rather just BEING with my God, the One Friend Who will NEVER let me down for too long
To play the game, here are the "RULES"

* Leave me a comment, below, saying: interview me

* Comments with e-mail addresses will not be published to preserve privacy

* I will e-mail you five questions. I get to pick the questions

* You can then answer the questions on your blog

* You should also post these rules along with an offer to interview anyone else who e-mails you wanting to be interviewed

* Anyone who asks to be interviewed should be sent 5 questions to answer on their blog

* It would be nice if the questions were individualized for each blogger

So, are YOU up for it?? I hope so!

Might as well have fun--we are NOT a glum lot...in fact, we absolutely INSIST on enjoying life.