This was a day when I was put in a position of having to deal with two things. One was my own junk. The other was a message about an old acquaintance in this program.
The first was my junk. I was driven to the Tenth, Eleventh, and the Twelfth. I had to go back and deal with the spiritual axiom, that whenever I was disturbed there was something wrong with me. And that was the truth. I was driven along the way to do a self survey about my temper. One of those, where it didn’t matter what someone else was doing. It only was my problem. I lost my temper and had to forgive the other person and ask for my Higher Power’s help. And I was able to change my attitude from the negative to the positive.
And then later on in the afternoon I got a message from and old acquaintance in this program. Someone I have known over time in here. And what it was about was the death of another member from way back. An alcoholic, who is nationally and probably internationally known for his talks. Talk about a Twelfth Step call.
He was a man I met fairly early on in this program. How often he would come over to our group and talk to us. Lead meetings and teach us about this program. How often I would run across him. I can even remember being struck, when I was called on to talk to a group and would see him sitting there.
Like most members, who were well known, I learned about who he was and what his life was about. Besides what he would tell us. One of the hard things were the deaths in his family, not so long ago. And now his. He was a great example to me and so many others in here. He will be remembered I know.
I won’t go into who he is. That is not my role. Those, who need to know, will find out in the next few days. He is in my prayers and my thoughts, along with so many others I know.
Anyway I am so grateful not just to know him, but so many others in here just like him. I have been blessed with so much help from old timers like him. Once again a reminder of why I am here. To stay sober a day at a time, just like he did. Examples like his were so much help for this chronic alcoholic. I owe so much gratitude to him and so many others, and basically of course my Higher Power, and the program itself. I’ll just say, “Thank you” and close.