GIVE YE HELP ONE TO THE OTHER

HELPING ONE ANOTHER

BRADY

There are those, too, who suffer from
grave emotional and mental disorders,
but many of them do recover,

if they have the capacity to be honest.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 58

About eight months ago, a young fellow, Brady, showed up at our early morning group, and he was decidedly "out of it". He was no more in or even near to reality than a cinder. It was obvious that his brain had been slo-baked over time, maybe a dozen years of time.

He kept to himself, spoke to no one, just sat in his chair wearing a painted, shit-eating grin on his face. His stare resembled that of a blind guy selling pencils on a street corner. Difficult to befriend, many of us--me included--sort of, well, I gave up on him. He would hence be tolerated, if only to sit quietly at this meeting for four years, or forty years.

Funny, he'd stand around outside the club before the meetings, just waiting for someone to say something to him. Anyone who tried was met with a completely blank stare of non-recognition.

Enter another guy, Joe. Joe was/is a very sick person also, diagnosed with severe depression, and so Joe had/has all the baggage which is required to battle his own illnesses other than alcoholism. Somehow, Joe found himself facing Brady alone in the smoking area. And somehow, that spark--of which only God could be the Author, the Creator--zapped between the two men, and a common ground for communication was instantly established.

Joe taught with a gentle firmness, with a compassion known only to a sick person who is helping another sick one. One day everyone was met at the door by Brady, who held his outstretched hand close to his belt line, and said feebly, "What's new?" Joe said this to at least eighty people that first morning, He repeated the saying, "What's new?" for twenty-nine mornings after.

Beginning the second month of Brady's evident sobriety--he did not receive a chip--another short phrase had been introduced by Joe. Brady now uttered "How's it goin'?" to approximately eighty people for thirty days, as he stood near the front door.

At the beginning of month number three, Brady began his line with, "Are ya hangin' in there?" At the end of month three, Brady stepped up to receive his 90-Day sobriety chip.

I began daily standing near to where Brady stood. Would you believe I caught him exchanging words--not many!--with some of those arriving to attend the AA meeting? Brady was holding a thought, and forging a snippet of conversation from that gymnastic of his mind. His "sponsor" Joe, we could all tell, looked so proud.

During successive following months the words became, "Go to meetings, and don't drink!"...."Take the Steps, but don't die on Third!".... "Go get 'em, Tiger!" It became clear that Brady was not drugging or drinking, that he was in our wonderful fellowship for the long haul--to stay sober.

And I got to witness the care, compassion, and love of one man, one human for another. I achieved some understanding of the phrase, "We will love you back to health."

Please do not let it pass you by that it was not I who befriended Brady. It was another man, fairly new, who also suffers from a disease other than alcoholism. And I saw God work in the lives of the giver (Joe) and him who received (Brady).

Next time it WILL be me who is on the front line of the encounter, the happening.
Of course, Brady is still a very sick man. I do hear him occasionally share at meetings, and he uses my poem, "Short and sweet, Is hard to beat."

And now...and NOW...

TRIVIA

Probably everyone but me knew this (actually, I knew it -grin!). The oft-quoted line, "He leadeth me beside the still waters" alludes to the fact that sheep will not drink from running streams.

(No more questions will be entertained at this time!)

Love, love, love, and Peace to you bloggers, from
Steve E