NOV 5, 20 .. ONE PHOTO .. A VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE ..

 I need say nothing more.

Let's all  .. NOT DRINK JUST FOR TODAY ..

AUG 16, 20 .. WORKING WITH OTHERS - STEP 12

Today, some eighty five (85) years after the first meeting between Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob, working with others (Step 12) remains the one, and the only, activity that we share with the original founding fathers of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and all of the early members. 

When the first seeds of A.A. were planted in May of 1935 in Akron, Ohio, there was no A.A. Big Book. So with no A.A. Big Book there were no steps to follow. There were no traditions to guide our meetings. There was basically nothing except the passion of one alcoholic working with another alcoholic sharing their own personal experience of striving, one-day-at-a-time, to not pick up a drink of alcohol.

I continue to work with others on a daily basis. 

Chapter 7 of the A.A. Big Book begins with the following paragraph:

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. It works when other activities fail. This is our twelfth suggestion: Carry this message to other alcoholics! You can help when no one else can. You can secure their confidence when others fail. Remember they are very ill.

Today, Sunday the 16th of August 2020, my own personal to-do list included calling a friend in A.A. who I have known for several decades. 

Doing this was so important that I taped a reminder message onto the mirror in our bathroom so I would not forget to call our friend.

Too funny! Almost the instant my wife and I returned from a local A.A. meeting our long time friend Kathleen called us before we called her!

What joy we three received visiting with one-another!

I promised Kathleen I'd include a few photos of a local lake we visit to just relax and enjoy each other's company. It is so close that we can walk to it in 15-minutes.

Yes Oh Yes. We feed the ducks. Both the ducks and my wife and I just love our visits.

What has this got to do with sobriety? 

Everything. Sharing our joy and hope with each other keeps us sober.

Katheen, our dear friend, and anyone following along here who wishes to join us, let's make-a-deal:

Let's NOT DRINK TODAY.

JUL 10, 20 .. ZOOM MEETINGS ONLINE

Turn around, snap your fingers, and it's now July. Since publishing the last post here, oh my how things have changed.

The new world of  Zoom Meetings has arrived.

Some thoughts about them.

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2020/03/mar-28-20-part-1-of-2-zoomcom-and-my.html

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2020/03/mar-28-20-part-2-of-2-zoomcom-and-my.html

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2020/04/apr-2-20-zoomcom-and-my-second-ever-on.html

http://aaphotoshere.blogspot.com/2020/04/apr-9-20-zoomus-and-my-third-on-line.html

There is no question that Zoom Meetings are not the same as live, in-person, meetings. But love them or leave them, for the time being they are-here-to-stay.

Good luck and best wishes.

JAN 31, 20 .. JANUARY .. THE FIRST MONTH .. THE FIRST STEP

Welcome to year 2020. Now ending its first full month.

For those of us 'in recovery', January, the first month of the year, means Step 1.

Step 1 in its most basic sense is the admission that we have a problem. Pure and simple. IF one does not admit, IF one does not know, IF one does not accept the reality of a problem, there can be no solution to the same said problem can there?

Page 30 of the A.A. Big Book, More About Alcoholism, clearly states this:

We learned that we had to fully concede to our innermost selves that we were alcoholics. This is the first step in recovery.

It goes on to state on page 31 that .. 

Despite all we can say, many who are real alcoholics are not going to believe they are in that class. By every form of self-deception and experimentation, they will try to prove themselves exceptions to the rule, therefore nonalcoholic.

It is oft said that Step 1 is the only step we can do perfectly.

This brings me to the definition of the word alcoholic.

Again back to page 30 where it states..

We alcoholics are men and women who have lost the ability to control our drinking.

I feel that many of us honestly believe that we can control our drinking. This flawed thinking causes many to pick up that first drink that begins the cycle of relapse.

For me personally I use the below definition..

I am an alcoholic because I cannot guarantee my actions after I take a drink of alcohol.

Good Luck and Best Wishes in Year 2020.