mid-week rant

I will never understand why people feel the need to speak ugly about people they don't agree with.

I hear many gay friends who talk about their absolute hatred against people who don't accept them as homosexuals. I can understand differences of opinion. But why all the hatred?
The way I see things, it works both ways. If I want someone to accept me, I must accept them too.

I see this much more often (especially these days) in the realm of politics and politicians. Just because someone belongs to one party, they feel the need to insult and criticize everyone who has anything to do with the other party.
I just don't get it. Whatever happened to "all my affairs"?


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that spirituality is a gift, not an achievement

for restraint of tongue and pen

that even though times are tough, recovery isn't

for a reminder from someone yesterday, someone with 3 days sober. Everything is OK at this moment. So everything is OK.

that I'm not in jail. I visited a friend in the county jail yesterday. My first time to do this. Through my untrained eyes, it was chaos.



Nothing I say can explain to you Divine Love
Yet all of creation cannot seem to stop talking about it. - Rumi

Life as I understand it

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the cool and unexpected experiences that I've had while praying and as a result of praying

for my AA home group and its spiritual health

that I feel very comfortable sharing many of my more embarrassing experiences with sponsees

that the Houston area finally got some significant rain yesterday. The best rainfall since January. But we're still in a record-setting drought.


Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
- Winston Churchill

today's potpourri

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the 3rd tradition ... "The only requirement for membership in AA is the desire to stop drinking." It doesn't say quit drinking or to do something about your drinking; it says stop drinking.

that my physical health didn't suffer too much from my drinking. I had progressively worse DT's ove rthe last 10 years I drank, but it disappeared within a week of stopping

for my spiritual life; it's mine and NO ONE can take it away. But alcohol can.

for someone who returned to the rooms of AA yesterday after a relapse after 8 years of being sober

that I watched the President last night so I could get the message from the horse's mouth instead of hearing some reporter's opinion of what he said


Begin each day as if it were on purpose.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Tools

"What NOT to do on your lunch break today."



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to remember that I didn't get sober until I had a Higher Power to surrender to. I can't be in recovery from my alcoholism unless I practice the 12 steps and 12 traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous each and every day.

for all of the spiritual tools I've been offered in recovery

for acceptance of others as doing the best they know how

that the Truxillo House, a 3/4 house for recovering alkies/addicts, has finally reopened after a serious fire 13 months ago. They rebuilt with private donations. No insurance. No government funding.


Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget.
- Walt Disney

another Friday in the hood

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that my friend, Scott W. (Attitude of Gratitude) celebrated 7 years of sobriety yesterday. Drop by and give him a great big wet kiss! Scott exudes a gentleness that only a serene and spiritual life can produce.

for the following excerpt from page 27 of The Big Book ...

Here and there, once in a while, alcoholics have had what are called vital spiritual experiences. To me these occurrences are phenomena. They appear to be in the nature of huge emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them.

that today is Friday and I get to go to 3 AA meetings before dark

To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children,
to leave the world a better place,to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

round & round

Cell phone for seniors ...



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to be sober and relatively happy

that I got to substitute chair the noon meeting yesterday

that my sober life is so different from my drinking life

that I know the trick -- to stay spiritually fit (pass it along!!)

that a good defense is the best offense


In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
- John Muir

my mind was a terrible thing to waste

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

to know that spirituality is a gift, not an achievement

that I have a wild imagination and someone to settle it down

for the impact that people-in-recovery have on me

that Houston has caught up on our 2010 rain deficit

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

~~ somebody

Gratitude today

Don't do the steps without a sponsor.





todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I am still absolutely amazed that I don't get drunk every night -- or any night, for that matter!

for a recovery program that teaches me how NOT to start drinking again

that so many emotional and spiritual changes seem to take place in me when I'm not watching

that my life is better than I could have ever planned it

for a life of (slowly) diminishing addictions


With gratitude, all life appears as a blessing - without gratitude, all of life is perceived as a burden.
~ somebody

post # 2,600

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go ?

Wonder no more ! ! !

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

...
...
...
...
...
...
...

"Freeze a jolly good fellow"

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."


"Then they kick him in the ice hole!!!"




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I don't wake up any more wondering what time I get to start getting drunk

that, by the grace of my HP, I don't need beer in my fridge overnight - just in case

that as a result of working the steps with a sponsor, I feel accountable to him - constantly and consistently

that I'm listing one of my cars for sale on eBay. This is an interesting, first time experience.

Everyone's a star and deserves the right to twinkle.
- Marilyn Monroe

Step Twelve "Having had a spiritual awakening ...

as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

I had a spiritual awakening as the result of the first 3 steps AND because I had no where else to turn AND because I had become honest, open-minded and willing to change. Ever so slowly.

Service. Carry the message. So many ways. An infinite number of ways to carry the message. From attending meetings, being a sponsee and sponsor, chairing meetings, preparing rooms for AA meetings and cleaning them, joining in the fellowship before and after meetings, making phone calls. To name just a few.

Practice these principles. Whew! What an order! Learning how to live sober (and in recovery) every minute of every day will take a lifetime. Life is dynamic. Things change, often daily. Responding and reacting to life as it happens in a spiritual manner has become my goal.

Soon, I'll write a little bit on the principles (as I understand them).
This stuff -- recovery -- never stops. I hope.
Thank God.


today i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I act as a sort of backup chairperson if/when the regular chair doesn't show up at the 6:30am meeting. This happens a lot.

that I hand out business cards (made especially for AA meetings) to newcomers. My card has my photo on it so that person can put a face to the name. I like this.

that I know how important it is for me to stay in the center of my program. If I were to ride on the edge, the centrifugal force would toss me out.


Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid.
- Harlan Miller

just passing through ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I do my best to respect the space of others

that I don't depend on this blog (or others) for my recovery and rarely use it to inflate my ego

for the spiritual tools laid at my feet for use any time I wish to use them

for awareness. I've used this word often, but it plays such an important part of my sober life, it can't be overlooked.


The kindest way of helping yourself is to find a friend.
- Ann Kaiser Stearns

Reasons

men can fix anything.

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


that I'm still around - for a reason

that I don't know that reason; if I did, I'd probably be kinda scared

for the spiritual awakenings I've experienced since September 2003

for perseverance and determination

Anger is never without a reason, but seldom a good one.
- Benjamin Franklin

The Key Word is *CONTINUE*

senior biker's bar


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that we read some power writing yesterday morning from pages 84-88 of the Big Book.

... we continue to take personal inventory and continue to set right any new mistakes
... it should continue for a lifetime.
... continue to watch for selfishness, dishonesty, resentment and fear.
... we turn our thoughts to someone we can help.
... love and tolerance is our code.
... we have ceased fighting anything or anyone.
... the problem has been removed.
... we are not cured of alcoholism.
... we have a daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.


These ideas are covered in 3 paragraphs. Amazing.


The Promised Land always lies on the other side of a Wilderness.
- Havelock Ellis

just because ...

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that I have something to offer. So do you. And you too.

for the Fifth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous. "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."

that a spiritual life is not a theory. I have to live it.

that I no longer live a double life. I think of all the energy I spent trying to be the person my bosses wanted me to be; the person I thought my bar friends wanted me to be; the person I thought my parents wanted me to be; the person I thought my close friends wanted me to be.
Whew!!


There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.
- Andre Gide

just between you and me ...

Gary passed along this award to me and a few others. I'm supposed to list 7 facts about myself. Actually, I have a list of 100 things about myself, linked on my sidebar. Check it out when you have time.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful


that I had a spiritual awakening just when I needed it; I didn't even think they existed

for new habits

that I rarely need to look for loopholes

that I enjoy being of service in a variety of ways. For decades (before I was sober), my mother suggested and encouraged me to do volunteer work. I always declined under the pretense that I didn't have the time or desire. My, how times have changed!


Each day we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
- Charles Swindoll

Powerless tools

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the recovery and spiritual tools I've been so freely given, including (but not limited to) restraint of tongue and pen

to know for a fact that my perceptions so often have little or nothing to do with reality

that I can sometimes say the right thing without even thinking about it; it's my recovery at work


The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.
- Abraham Lincoln

The Total Entertainment Package

A 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential convertible allegedly used by President Kennedy. It still has the special radio equipment under the dashboard and a telephone in the back seat area.

This was one of the autos on display in the classics section of the 2010 Houston Auto Show this past weekend.


todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that someone whose recovery I much admire made a point of emphasizing that the Big Book says we "claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection." Many people seem to remove the word "spiritual" from that phrase. They then use this as a reason or excuse to do less than their best. Am I wrong to point this out?

that we celebrate sober birthdays on the last Saturday of each month at Lambda Center. January saw 39 celebrants with a total of 527 years of sobriety. It was amazing to be around all that recovery.

that I can accept the fact that the world sometimes seems to be passing me by -- I say this after watching the Grammy Awards last night. I'm not familiar with many of the performers or songs.

that I had a good time at the Auto Show with a recovery friend

that title of this blog is one of my phavorite frases (I think I coined it several years ago)

We cannot hold a torch to light another persons path without brightening our own.
- Ben Sweetland

onward

one of the winners in a sand castle competition




todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for Step 11 improvement -- when I look at where I was 6 years ago when I stopped drinking, I am amazed at the evolution of my own spirituality. I also know that this must continue, and it will as long as I keep doing what I'm doing.

for Fi. She's a most lovely woman from Dublin who occasionally visits Houston and comes to AA meetings at Lambda while here. She shared her experience yesterday with us before headin gfo rthe airport and then back home to Ireland. I hope that she and my significant other can connect later this month while he is in Dublin.

that I saw a PBS salute to Bill Cosby, winner of the Mark Twain Prize. It included performances by well-known comics and musicians. Great stuff! I first knew of Bill cosby back in 1966 when he was just getting started. I think I had his first album. I would have been about 12 years old.

that I know from my own recent experience that Pam will come through her current situation just fine; it just takes time

that another baseball season is done; I'm not a Yankees fan

Great Spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his moccasins.
- Sioux Indian prayer

2231 days after stopping drinking alcohol ...

Tooth Plaque under an electron microscope

Brush your teeth often because this is what the surface of a tooth with a form of plaque looks like.






todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for another day to practice the principles -- I like doing that.

that I don't have to be anybody but me

that doubting God's existence was not a barrier to a spiritual experience
see Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th edition, page 374

that my sponsor knows me so well (that didn't happen accidentally)

that I was able to get my new (used) Caddy inspected, titled and registered easily

Speak when you're angry, and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret.
- Lawrence J. Peter

my part

todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

that the spiritual life is not a theory

that I was asked at the last moment to chair yesterday's 12:15pm AA meeting. It's a step -oriented meeting and we focused on Step 4.

that in practicing Step 4 often and many times without my conscious participation, I have learned to let go of most resentments becuase I now recognize the part I play in my life

that it's the 1st day of Autumn

for a note from our blogging friend, Trudge (Outright Mental Defective) ... "Dave can you tell everyone that I am sorry but I cannot access my blogger or my gmail accounts. Hope to be back with you all soon."

that our President is a black man and freely admits to being one for many years


You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.
- Dr. Wayne Dyer