I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The seed has been planted in his mind. He knows that thousands of men, much like himself, have recovered.
--Alcoholics Anonymous 113:1
28-August-2015
Happy Saturday everyone!
Today has me thinking about numbers. The Old Man used to say: 'for every ten men I give my number to, one will call; for every ten that calls, one will show up at my house; for every ten men that shows up at my house, one will return. For every ten that returns, one will finish his fourth step. For every ten that finishes his fourth step, one will start his ninth step. For every ten men that starts his ninth step, one will finish. Those are they that recover from alcoholism'.
This too has been my experience, for sobriety, like most things, is a numbers game. This disease of ours 'that tells us we don't have a disease' is patient, cunning and baffling. What seemed like a good suggestion from our sponsors yesterday often seems extreme today, once we begin to feel better. In my experience 'relief is the enemy of recovery'.
I have been fortunate to have sponsored nearly two thousand men, yet less than 100 have finished their ninth step. The rest have drifted away into the seemingly more comfortable ranks of the two-fold solution, or worse, have drank and or died.
However! There are those that come back. Those are the ones I look for, wait for, hope for. The occasional ninth step finisher gives me the experience, strength and hope to keep reaching out to any who is looking for a way out, and the occasional ray of hope is all that is needed to sustain me to keep plugging away, for watching a man walk away from this work - this way out - this stairway to heaven, if you will, is a grim business, and watching them drift back into the cold, dark world of selfishness and self-contentedness wears you out sometimes.
I am grateful for all of them, for each has been heaven-sent to help this tired old pilgrim on his journey home.
I love each and every one of you. Thank you for my life.
Yours in love and service,
COG., 1st Class | Megan D., Editor
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The seed has been planted in his mind. He knows that thousands of men, much like himself, have recovered.
--Alcoholics Anonymous 113:1
28-August-2015
Happy Saturday everyone!
Today has me thinking about numbers. The Old Man used to say: 'for every ten men I give my number to, one will call; for every ten that calls, one will show up at my house; for every ten men that shows up at my house, one will return. For every ten that returns, one will finish his fourth step. For every ten that finishes his fourth step, one will start his ninth step. For every ten men that starts his ninth step, one will finish. Those are they that recover from alcoholism'.
This too has been my experience, for sobriety, like most things, is a numbers game. This disease of ours 'that tells us we don't have a disease' is patient, cunning and baffling. What seemed like a good suggestion from our sponsors yesterday often seems extreme today, once we begin to feel better. In my experience 'relief is the enemy of recovery'.
I have been fortunate to have sponsored nearly two thousand men, yet less than 100 have finished their ninth step. The rest have drifted away into the seemingly more comfortable ranks of the two-fold solution, or worse, have drank and or died.
However! There are those that come back. Those are the ones I look for, wait for, hope for. The occasional ninth step finisher gives me the experience, strength and hope to keep reaching out to any who is looking for a way out, and the occasional ray of hope is all that is needed to sustain me to keep plugging away, for watching a man walk away from this work - this way out - this stairway to heaven, if you will, is a grim business, and watching them drift back into the cold, dark world of selfishness and self-contentedness wears you out sometimes.
I am grateful for all of them, for each has been heaven-sent to help this tired old pilgrim on his journey home.
I love each and every one of you. Thank you for my life.
Yours in love and service,
COG., 1st Class | Megan D., Editor
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Welcome as a witness to a fools journey out of the darkness. I welcome all tidings - you are all my teachers on this path toward a meaningful and purposeful sobriety.
COG, 1st Cl.