Began today with a quotation, which often runs through my mind. It’s about the fact that this program works, because it is different. And that was written by the poet Robert Frost many years ago. It’s from the poem The Road Not Taken.
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.
The reason I always go back to this is because it’s true. After all, when you look at the number of alcoholics in this program and the number of those still drinking, we’re a smaller number. There are those out there, who, whether they found this program or not, are still drinking. On the other hand, those of us, who have chosen to enter and stay sober, have really done what the poet said. The practicing alcoholics are taking the road all drunks travel on. We stepped off that road and onto the one, which has led us to a wonderful sober way of living. The road really less traveled.
Every time I stop and think about this, it makes me feel like we been given a miracle. But it’s like it said, we had to take the road less taken. When I came into this program, it was at a time, when, though there were a lot of alcoholics in here, it definitely was still not a well publicized group. I had been living in Washington, DC, and when I arrived I had not heard of AA. I knew nothing about it. And the number of groups, was fairly small. And there really wasn’t much help then. Hospitals were of little or no help. No rehabs. And I think I later found out that there was only one small detox in that area.
In fact I only learned about this, when an alcoholic medic I worked with, had only heard of it the day before I was going to kill myself, because I could not stop drinking, no matter what. And he found out about the program, because a patient he was treating the day before had smelled alcohol on my friend in the morning. He had asked him, why, if he was treating him, he had been drinking that morning. Then he told him about the program he himself belonged to. And my friend stopped me from suicide and told me about a meeting he had been given. And we went.
We were taking the road less traveled. And it changed our lives. I have never drank since that day. A real miracle, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway I stopped and thought back about this today. And, as I learned in here, I’m staying sober just a day at a time. It really works.
I am so grateful for all I have been given. I have been changed. My whole life is, like I said, a miracle. All of it is totally changed. I’m not the same person, who came through these doors back then. I have found peace and happiness, which was never available to this alcoholic before. So grateful for all I have been given. Living this spiritual way of life in here has awakened me, and brought peace, hope, faith, and love into my life, which was never there before I arrived. I have to thank my Higher Power, my old sponsor, and those old timers. I also am grateful to all, who have helped me over time. Thanks.