I'm Not the Brightest Bulb in the Store
I heard a riddle at today's A.A. speakers meeting. How many alcoholics does it take to change a lightbulb?
One. He just holds it and the world turns around him!
I find that particularly humorous in light of one of my character defects I have identified and work to change every day -- self-centeredness. According to Freud, "Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism."
If I pawned my narcissism, I have yet to receive any cash for it, which suggests I am still hanging on to some of it. When I was lying in intensive care after drinking so much I was unresponsive on the floor, a social worker told me about A.A. and gave me a list of local meetings. I told her thanks, but no thanks.
What I didn't tell her was that I knew the kind of people who attend A.A. meetings, and I'm not one of them. I have a college degree. I retired after being a professional for 35 years. I have a nice home and never have lived in a box under a bridge. I am happily married and have two successful, well-adjusted kids. I have flown all over the country and have been in 49 states.
Just a minute. I am having trouble unscrewing this lightbulb.
I learned I am just like the people in A.A. God didn't make me special in any way. We all are special. I know lots of people -- good people -- I wouldn't have known if not for A.A. God led me there to help me dismount from my high horse.
The Big Book explains on page 62: "Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt."
The earth doesn't revolve around me. I have to turn my wrist to change lightbulbs.
One. He just holds it and the world turns around him!I find that particularly humorous in light of one of my character defects I have identified and work to change every day -- self-centeredness. According to Freud, "Whoever loves becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism."
If I pawned my narcissism, I have yet to receive any cash for it, which suggests I am still hanging on to some of it. When I was lying in intensive care after drinking so much I was unresponsive on the floor, a social worker told me about A.A. and gave me a list of local meetings. I told her thanks, but no thanks.
What I didn't tell her was that I knew the kind of people who attend A.A. meetings, and I'm not one of them. I have a college degree. I retired after being a professional for 35 years. I have a nice home and never have lived in a box under a bridge. I am happily married and have two successful, well-adjusted kids. I have flown all over the country and have been in 49 states.
Just a minute. I am having trouble unscrewing this lightbulb.
I learned I am just like the people in A.A. God didn't make me special in any way. We all are special. I know lots of people -- good people -- I wouldn't have known if not for A.A. God led me there to help me dismount from my high horse.
The Big Book explains on page 62: "Selfishness -- self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles. Driven by a hundred forms of fear, self-delusion, self-seeking, and self-pity, we step on the toes of our fellows and they retaliate. Sometimes they hurt us, seemingly without provocation, but we invariably find that at some time in the past we have made decisions based on self which later placed us in a position to be hurt."
The earth doesn't revolve around me. I have to turn my wrist to change lightbulbs.
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