One day at a time.   I first arrived very oppositional and defiant and my attitude and behavior were unacceptable (but not unusual) for a newbie.  I ranted and raved like I knew everything about anything expecially what was wrong with my alcoholic/addict wife and blah blah blah.  I went to open AA meetings with her and oh man what a crock of horse putkie!!  soooo I left cause I just hated it and them all...simple!!  I even got her to go back out again cause she thought I was soooo smart also and relied on my own personal assessment of her condition which was, "No you're not an alcoholic", what man in his right mind would tell his wife that she was one?

Anyway I went back out also and like they said in the earliest of meetings Alcoholism is a progressive disease...always gets worse never better and I unwillingly became a poster boy for that axiom.  It got worse beyond my colorful imagination and I was done for...or maybe just not until I could find a place to lay down and stop breathing long enough to just quietly pass thru.  I got back into the rooms of Al-Anon before that event could take place and decided to do 90X90 before holding my breath for over 3 minutes 15 seconds (I could hold that long on purpose) but then after 102 or so meetings I didn't have a desire to lay down and die as bad as I had 3 months before and decided to keep coming back. 

My first real, true entry date was right about Feburary 8 1979...a bit before and then it isn't a biggie.  What has happened to me since is the beggie.  I've got a life worth living that I never knew existed and most of my problems have several solutions always waiting in the wings.  I have lots of opportunities to be helpful with others and never create one to enable anyone else.  I don't do pro-alcohol; pro-drug with any person, place or thing and will work with someone trying to find their way out of that nightmare at the drop of a hat.  My constant meditation is "God Is" and nothing more to add to it.  My third step prayer is "Place me where you want me and tell me what to do" and I ask that every time I have a question was to what is going on around me and what and where am I needed if at all.  Sometimes I'm a watcher and I get to learn. 

There steps?...learn them; live them 24/7 and include the slogans because we aren't on this island all alone we have ourselves and we have tons of others whom we have choices with like them or not.  Slogans are huge for me ...they are keep it simple emergency medicine when my head and body are trying to react..."Don't react is my most favorite and came from my most favorite former sponsor Don.t...who else.

Practice pays off so I continue to do what I was told to do when I got here 33 years ago....Sit down...Listen...Learn...Practice, Practice, Practice.  I can imagine doing it any other way.   I love new comers cause I just love to watch budding miracles...makes me giddy and I honor the heck out of old timers because they have the power to open and hold open the doors to miracles and new thoughts, feelings and behaviors which will save anothers life if they just sit, listen, learn and practice as I was taught.

Yes I am grateful beyond words...that and giddy.   Thanks to all my MIP brothers and sisters in recovery.   Amen.  ((((hugs))))