JAN 23, 21 .. THE FIRST MONTH .. STEP ONE ..

 Step One .. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become unmanageable.

I am not now, nor have I ever been powerless over alcohol, until I took the first drink and introduced alcohol into my body. 

Let's keep-it-simple. 

Step One is the admission that we have a problem with alcohol. Pure and simple.

IF a person does not know they have a problem (and this applies to anything) then how can they ever overcome the problem?

Having admitted we have a problem, we then move forward to Step 2.

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.

OCT 30, 19 .. THOUGHTS ON BEING PATIENT AND SPIRITUALITY

On my way to catch a bus here in Ulaanbaatar just the other day, I gave some serious thought to ..

Just For Today .. Just This One Time .. I will NOT be in a rush to catch a bus.

Below is a link to my thoughts.

http://babakaps.net/?p=39067

Appendix II in the Big Book talks about a spiritual awakening or a spiritual experience being a change within us.

Step 6 is about character defects. Being impatient is one of my character defects that I must work at improving. You don't rid yourself of a character defect. You replace it with a character affect.

Just some thoughts should you wish to consider them.

SEP 21, 19 .. ONE GREAT MEETING HERE IN ULAANBAATAR

Large or small, I do-them-all. 

This afternoon, I was invited to share my experience at a small meeting of from three to four members. 

The group is a relatively new group in an area of Ulaanbaatar that does not have many meetings (if any). In order to stay sober, we reach out and help others and this is what an older member did, he began this meeting in an effort to assist those who can not get to other larger meetings.

The meeting is located in a local community (governmental) building and like in Russia, the government fully works with, and supports, our efforts to help those who want help.

The below photos were taken looking back from the doorway you see above.

The meeting room was excellent! Clean and bright with comfortable chairs.

I am one of a two-man team. Without my translator, I have nothing to say. 

We sat in the two chairs in the front. 

I was surprised that the two members of the group who were stetting up the small meeting (three to four members) had so many chairs out.

Looking back at the entrance into the room.

A very nice informational wall hanging for new members to read. 

Goodness! With it being a two-hour meeting, we'd all need some munchies wouldn't we?

Let me tell you! The support that I felt from the three to four members was excellent.

I told the group's leader I'd expected three to four members. He just smiled.

Sign me as..

One of the luckiest members in the entire world.