Thursday, March 13, 2008

Memory Assault

I am going to write some honesty here, so I am sure glad I found a way to have either gotten rid of the evil commenter, or I have found a way to not have to listen to him... not sure which. He has either left me alone for a week or so, or I truly found the magical way to not ever have to see his comments. Let me know if you want to know the secret... but I digress...

This morning I left in haste for church, didn't have time to even blog. I thought I was ready to go to the gym after church, but I forgot my iPod. I realized I had my old iPod in my car, so I went to the gym after church at 6 a.m. My old iPod doesn't really work anymore. You have to jiggle the cord to get the earbuds to work right and adjusting the volume is iffy. Changing songs is impossible - and you can no longer even turn the thing off! So, there I was, a victim of whatever song came on next. And a song came on. I usually skip past it. I don't know when I last listened to it.

I was 2 miles into a 3 mile run and there was "Jersey Girl" by Bruce Springsteen. As I listened to Bruce sing "tonight I want to be with you," I thought how beautiful and how nice it would be to hear these words said to me.

And then I remembered. The first time I ever danced with George. At an AA dance. In 1984. To Jersey Girl by Bruce. George loved me. I eventually came to love George. We danced. A slow dance. And George wanted to be with me. George never stopped wanting to be with me. I was young and beautiful and newly sober and George was quite a bit older, and could never quite stay sober, but he adored me.

Today, I am a 56 year old grandmother, running as fast as she can on the treadmill... and believe me, I mean that in more ways than one. But this morning, I was transported back to a time when I was young, newly sober, and dancing with a man who adored me. Oh, dear. I had chills.

I wish I could have appreciated what I had when I had it. I never quite appreciated George, and I eventually broke up with him - I could not stay with someone who was drinking. I never appreciated being newly sober because I wanted to have decades of sobriety. I could go on, but I am sure you get the drift. (And I also will just say, just so no one needs to tell me: I do get the lesson here. I need to appreciate where I am today - and most days I do. I am just really tired today.)

George died a couple of years ago. I just want to say:

George Edward Schnaufer, I love you. Wherever you are, I love you. I hope you are resting peacefully in heavenly bliss ... and I hope I will see you again someday.

9 comments:

Syd said...

Your post makes me remember new love as well. I don't know where the time goes. I try not to go back to those places in my mind. It just seems too sad. Gotta stay in the present.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful insight. I've had my parallels - things which, looking back, I see how wonderful they were but at the time I greatly under-appreciated them.

One Drunk to Another said...

Oh, what a lovely, and sad, story. I guess the lovely ones usually are. Your comments ring so true for me, and there are time I long for the time when I was newly sober. There was a lot of pain, but it was beautiful and, sadly, unrecoverable. I didn't appreciate it then, either.

Pammie said...

that was great MC.
I was beautiful when I fisrt got sober too...do you think recovery makes us age?? :)
We ARE AGING BEAUTIFULLY THOUGH!!
I wish I could say "im sorry" to some men in my life that loved me, that I could never love back.

dAAve said...

And today, you're dancing as fast as you can.

Zanejabbers said...

MC, very touching post. Brought back memories I cherish. Have a wonderful day. As for the unnamed one, he's at my post daily. I just hit reject and instant serenity.
Loving you in the sober day.

Scott W said...

That was charming and precious and brings back memories of past loves. To me it's all a part of the process of getting to where I am today, and I wouldn't change anything.

Thanks for sharing that moment.

Anonymous said...

Oh ... phooey... on you... you... brought...

tears.

I understand. Too well, sadly.

Scott M. Frey said...

just a real nice post MC, thanks for sharing that