Sunday Morning

Night Watch was spectacular last night! About 30 people came to my little house. Many of them car-pooled, so there were no serious parking problems. It was so cute to see 4 and 5 alkies pouring out of cars and trucks. It was also incredible to me that my neighbors on both sides got out and shoveled the crap in the street in front of their houses, which meant we had three houses worth of street parking. Believe me, that was so far above and beyond anything a person would reasonably do! And they really did it for me. Who ever heard of such a thing? No wonder I really, in my heart of hearts, love living here.

It is such a treat to look at your own living room and dining room and see your AA group sitting around. Many of them were sitting on the floor. There was a time when I couldn't even get from my kitchen to my dining room for all the people on the floor! We had great food, great fellowship, and several great phone calls.

After they all left, my former b.f. sat with me while I finished up the phone shift which ended at 11:00. At 10:45, I got two real-live twelve step calls right at the same time. Two different drunk women who sort of wanted to get sober. I talked with both of them for a while and got them situated. By the time I got off the phone, Mr. former sweetie-man was putting on his coat and getting ready to leave - it was very late. I apologized to him for spending so much time on the phone, but I had to be responsible which he understood (and frankly, it doesn't matter if he does or not!) But he said something that has re-played over and over in my mind... he said that listening to me on the phone with those women made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Yikes. He said it was meant in a good way, that just listening to that was so powerful. I had felt I was doing a really crappy job of talking to drunk people (because I find I have less and less patience for it as the years go by.)

I am thinking of the 5th step promises as I write this because that is how I feel today....

"We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe." -- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 75