Saturday, December 27, 2008

View from my front porch

This morning.  As I left for the 6:30 meeting, this car parked in front of my house really annoyed me, it is a huge honkin' SUV, parked in the street, blocking part of my driveway.  When I got home from the meeting, I noticed the driver's side window was partially down, so I took a look-see and discovered a car with many wires hanging out of every empty space.  Even the headrests were torn off.  So, I called the police.  They are here, about to tow away this stolen vehicle.  Nice to know that while I was sound asleep, there were thieves just under my bedroom window.  Messy thieves - they left cigarette packs and various other debris on the street, and an egg mc muffin with one bite out of it on my lawn.  

I thank God that I can call the police today.  And not worry about warrants or anything else.  It is a wonderful freedom - which happened to be the topic of the meeting this morning.... synchronicity!

Last night I went to the 5:30 meeting for the first time in at least a year.  When I walked in, I thought I did not know a soul in the room, which I found disconcerting.  After a while, I realized that a woman I used to sponsor was sitting across the room, and we said hello.  After another little while, a long lost sponsee I have not seen for at least 10 years came in the room.  We both screamed and ran across the room to hug each other.  Oh, it was so good to see her!  She has been sober now 15 years.  Our paths do not ever cross... except for last night when we both happened to be bored and both decided to go to this meeting that neither of us usually go to.  How wonderful it was to catch up with her!  

As we were talking, another woman came up and asked me to sponsor her.  I almost said No.  But I didn't.  She is living in a half-way house, has 30 days sober and really wants to stay sober "this time."  I told her I want her to call everyday, and that we will get together once a week and read the big book and do what it says as we go... and therefore will complete all twelve of the steps.  

She told me she needs someone to "kick her ass," I was about to respond to that, but Melany did instead and did a much better job than I could have.  She said "You have to kick your own ass and be responsible for your own sobriety, no one is going to do it for you."  Oh, how nice.  I would have said something like that.  But not that well.

Women will frequently ask me to sponsor them because I frequently sound "tough" in meetings.  But they soon discover that once I develop a relationship with them, I am one of the most loving people they have ever known.  I am just not a kick-ass type, even though my persona would suggest that I am.  

My mortgage guy is coming over at 1:00 and we will start the paperwork to refinance my house.  I hope all these vehicles are gone by then.  There are now even more police cars out there.  And soon there will be a tow truck. Oh, the drama!  

Thank God it is not MY drama.  

14 comments:

Syd said...

Wow, a lot going on. Glad that you made the meeting. Have an uneventful day.

dAAve said...

I think that SUV belongs to one of my ex-sponsee's. At least, he said it did.
FYI - you used the word "frequently" twice in one sentence. I have not seen that happen since 1977.

Mary Christine said...

Well, dAAve, would you then say that it happens "infrequently"?

Mary Christine said...

Well, dAAve, would you then say that it happens "infrequently"?

Scott W said...

Mary, I love that you left the same comment twice on a comment about frequently being twice written. That is a lot of twices.

I must remember that retort to the kick my ass comment. That is a good one!

Mary Christine said...

I don't even know how that happened!
I guess it happens fairly frequently.

Unknown said...

OMG you all are cracking me up with the frequency of your responses to one another.

Great post glad that the car was returned, sad that it was in front of your house, hopefully the drastic fantastic will clear up.

You sound like an amazing sponsor. I love the fact that you sound tough but are loving...great combination!

Hugs,
G

Hope said...

It is with increasing frequency that I thank God that the drama in life is not my drama.

Scott W said...

I have laughed frequently reading these comments.

steveroni said...

"Synchronicity"--love that word. Love WORDS. And I love action. Not at the poker tables, but at AA tables and beyond.

My sponsor also is VERY tough sounding, but loving. I'm fortunate to have found him. Also he says "Kick your own ass, work your own program. I'll tell you when you're wrong!"

Thanks, Mary.

dAAve said...

I can't stand the word "serendipity." There is a guy at Lambda Center who uses it frequently all the time without end, usually.

Pammie said...

I can't imagine anyone being able to take just one bite out of an egg mcmuffin...they must have been really tough guys for that!
I love running into old friends in meetings. It seems to happen alot at Christimas time.
I can't believe you live in snow, i'm so tired of it.

Trailboss said...

I frequently peruse this blog. If I were to infrequently stop in to read this post I would miss the drama of it all.

I have frequently seen a comment posted twice.

How odd thta dAAve remembers that frequently was posted twice in the same sentence since 1977. I find that very strange. But then, I frequently find dAAve strange.

ms. fits chicago said...

I like what was said about sponsorship -- I, too, went to my current sponsor thinking she could kick my ass (she's a tough African-American woman who grew up on the West side of Chicago), but as we began to work together I knew that she was quite loving and her "toughness" was really just a fierce determination to stay sober, whatever it took. It's interesting, I think, how we see people from our own limited perspective, and also how much the world opens up when we work on ourselves.