Yes! Today I’m A Success!
Said With Tongue-In-Cheek and filed under “recovery humor” because I don’t use a category titled “sarcasm.” ;-)
Two lessons from the oldtimers - one - I’m not in AA to win any popularity contests, I’m here to get and stay sober. Two - not really true but - Matt M., my first sponsor, had told me it was better to give a resentment than get one.
Well, I’ve lasted long enough to be here to tell you today that I’m a success! I’ve accomplished both! I didn’t set out to accomplish either. What I set out to do was be truthful, even if it meant being brutally honest. Why? Because recovery from alcoholism (and any other addiction) is a life or death deal. This is not a game.
Thanks to prairiegirl66 I found myself back at Barefoot’s recovery site this morning. Wonderful site! For whatever reason, I was drawn to Barefoot’s personal story and found the words that were spoken to him when he picked up his first year anniversary chip in 1975. From an oldtimer the likes of which I remember so well (Thank God!);
“Well done, Bob, you have earned this, but I have no intention of extending a congratulation to you. Why in hell should we alcoholics be congratulated just for doing what we should have been doing all along? WELL DONE!! Just keep DOING IT!!”
Now - for my daily dose of OCD, lol - and for my daily gratitude that I rarely share with y’all;
Thank you for all the character assassinations from all those medical degrees that are walking through that podcast. The oldtimers that taught me what has successfully been working for over 16 years also taught me that degrees relating to AA were about as good as degrees on a rectal thermometer.
Amen… lmao
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POSTED IN: Recovery Humor
3 opinions for Yes! Today I’m A Success!
dAAve / higher powered
Aug 15, 2006 at 4:04 pm
I appreciate the wisdom behind not congratulating an alcoholic for staying sober. But I don’t agree with it - at all.
I didn’t know I could stop. It never ocurred to me that I could. I am an educated man, in the health field no less. I thought I was doomed to die with a drink in hand.
So if I accept that this is a disease, even if it’s a disease of my thinking, then I will congratulate others AND myself when they or I reach milestones. The rate of recidivism back to drinking has shown that we who stay sober are among the minority. If a pat on the back lends incentive to staying stopped, so be it.
Just my opinion, of course. LOL
markw
Aug 15, 2006 at 4:49 pm
dAAve, I count myself blessed to understand where you’re coming from… not a problem at all.
My second sponsor told me he didn’t care what kept me sober as long as I knew what it was and I did it.
And so be it :-)
Gwen
Aug 15, 2006 at 7:20 pm
It really is life or death. I am glad to find humor along the way but when push comes to shove it is my life I am talking about.
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