Corking the Bottle

Here is something that is confusing to me. "According to Carl Jung, at the very core of our humanness exists a dualism -- the shadow and the light. Before we can manifest our light and become that winged bird, we must first come to know and accept our shadow." (Jacqueline Small, Awakening in Time     https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jacquelyn-small/awakening-in-time/ ) I have worked to minimize and erase the personality disorders I have become aware of by working the Twelve Steps. One important defect is self-centeredness and a feeling of superiority. I feel like I have made good progress toward that goal. People at A.A. meetings show me we are all the same in God's eyes, but with unique strengths and weaknesses. That's the way God made us. My wife still accuses me of thinking only of myself. So does my youngest sister. So am I not seeing myself clearly for what I am? Are they trying to boost their own self-esteem by projecting their issues at me? Or...

[First published August 15, 2018] 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...

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...