TELEPHONE CALL AND VISIT

GOOD OLD STEP TWELVE
PLUS TWO-DAY HOLIDAY

Folks, ah'm jus' sittin' here. tryin' to figure out somethin' ta blog....when the phone rings: True story! I just this minute ended the conversation.

RING!

Steve: Hello
Voice: Hey Steve, this is Don.
Steve: Don? Which Don?
Voice: C'mon, Steve you know ME!
Steve: Well, give me a clue.
Voice: We met a year ago at an AA meeting. I'm in New York.
The reason for all the noise is I'm hangin' out here
in a train station
Steve: (OMG) LOL, And you think I rememb.....
Voice: Steve, you TOLD me to call you.
Steve: (sigh!) Oh, and have you been sober since then?
Voice: Oh yeah. Few days now and then. A week here,
a week there...YOU know how it is...
Steve: What do I know? I know one thing. I stopped drinking
more than 18,000 times, one or two times every day
for more than 25 years
Voice: How's that again?
Steve: Every time I passed out, I stopped drinking! I never
"got drunk--from 'drunk'". I always "got drunk
from 'sober'"!!! So, once sober, just STAY that way.
Voice: I'll have to think that over...heh, heh.
Steve: Tell me again. Who are you?
Don: Don Cnhrewyzce (sounded like) from New York!
Steve (Having NO idea, no clue) Oh, THAT Don!
Don: I'm going into a 'spensive rehab, run by Friars in upstate NY.
Medicaid is paying the bill. 90 days $100,000. Whaduya
think of that?
Steve: (Thinking of THAT!) Ummmmmmm. Tell ya what. Call me
when you get out of that monastery or whatever...
Don: I could call you tomorrow. That's when my booze will run out.
Steve: Ninety DAYS, call me in ninety days! OK?
Don: OK. Goodbye, my good friend.
Steve: (What????) Yeah, goodbye, Don! Thanks for calling! You made my day, man!

And he really did make my day.

Imagine, out of millions of people-choices, he called ME! What could be more of an honor? Thank You, God. He will call me August 24th...ya know what day THAT is? (I just looked it up!)


We are leaving Wednesday morning early for an overnight visit with my daughter MsFirefighterPants, be back Thursday evening...Did I tell ya, our new car has an electric circuit for 120v equipment, such as--you KNOW it--a COMPUTER! I can blog while we're traveling!

Prayer Girl is probably saying, "Over my divorced body!" Guess I should not read and comment on blogs while visiting my daughter--maybe she will take a shower, or take "Chief" (BIG dog) for a walk. Point is, I'll try to say "Hello" to you all, but if I cannot, please flog me gently. And let me "walk the plank" off a three-meter board into warm water.

I'll be back with a blog Thursday night, even if it's only the weekly joke from the Thursday-night "cookie" meeting. Thank you all SO much for comments, messages, and other stuff--support and helpful suggestions.

I love you bloggers...you must know that by now. You might be weary from hearing about it?

Peace, and Love,
Steve E

MONDAY--LAST DAY FOR RAMBLINGS

LAST DAY FOR RAMBLINGS

One the whole, our trip to Cocoa Beach FL for a roundup, was an eye-opening experience for me. Other than the speakers, it was the peeps which made it all worthwhile. Not to take away from the scheduled 'circuit' speakers--I believe they have a place in AA--but my own favorite meetings were the 7 AM beach meeting with just 60-70 peeps.

So beautiful--the ambience: Atlantic Ocean--and so spiritual, and so familial (NOT misspelled!). Immediately, we "morning people" became as one extended family, and I felt as if I had know all these no-longer-strangers all my life! The meeting topics were not, as I'd expect, "Gratitude" e.g., but the all-important SPONSORSHIP! For, in our Big Book, and even before that, I am admonished to "give this thing away, or I shall not keep it". "Give it away, what has so freely been given me."

And when I said "I cannot sponsor anyone yet. I don't feel I am 'ready'", I was told, "You begin passing on this message to another, or you will DIE!" And, dear Peeps, this is my message to all of us. Please do not let the treatment facilities take over ALL of our functions. I--and you--are the ones to lead another alcoholic in working these precious life-saving, life-giving steps. We cannot explain our steps or teach them...they can only be learned by DOING them! The experience IS the teacher!

Lately (years, now?) I have noticed people coming into our AA rooms, and they have already taken the "Treatment Center" version of AA's steps up to, and including Step Five. Many of these new sobers have not had to invest a dime in their early recovery, and the rate of staying sober for twenty consecutive years is about 1 out of 18,000 who somehow walked in the door to "try it out". A Dallas TX Intergroup (year 2000) chip sales log shows--non-scientifically-- Desire chips sold 21, 296. One-Year chips sold, 1,446 with the question: Where are the other 19, 850? (If ya Email me your fax #, I'll send you a copy of the Dallas chip sale sheet.)

Point is, I must get out there, grab a new member, take them through the steps, because....that's the only way I'm gonna get the full benefit of our AA fellowship, and program.

About our trip, it was GREAT until the ride home. First I tripped on my clogger sandals, and did some damage to my left hand--very much not good for violin players. I can tell you that. Looks infected already. Oh, well. I can always play the trumpet!

Second, driving home about 75 mph (or more?), I fell asleep at the wheel, went off the road (I-4) scared the hell out of Prayer Girl--and me, too!-- and fortunately God (or "It"?) kept the van from rolling over a few times, and doing more damage than just a few body jerks. But SCARY, folks...scary! Actually, I'm ready to die, but I'd hate for my death or PG's to occur because of something stupid, like my ZZzzzzzzzzz! And I'd sure not like to lose some limbs, or some of the remaining brain cells, etc.

But it is a Happy Day!

Love y'all.
Good Night!
Sober Monday to all of us, OK?
Steve E