Corking the Bottle

Comments at the A.A. meeting I attended Thursday night got me to thinking about the coronavirus and how it might be particularly hazardous to us alcoholics. For example, I used to be an impulse drinker. Even though I was trying to stop, I could find excuses to buy another bottle. The coronavirus seems like a good excuse to people who may be like I was. "What the heck. I might get sick. I might be quarantined. I might choose on my own to stay home away from people. So I might as well stock up with whiskey and drink my way through the pandemic." My Thursday meeting was poorly attended. It might have been the storms in the area at the same time. Maybe people were staying away from others to avoid illness. What I do know is that a week ago we had more at that meeting than ever before. I hear many alcoholics say they have to go to A.A. to stay well-grounded and sober. What will happen to such people if others stop going? More likely, what if churches where some meetings a...

Here are some interesting statements from A.A. meetings. Donna said it's a big deal just to do her own laundry now that she is sober. I can say the same thing about keeping the house clean and doing yard work. Someone said once that becoming sober is like adolescence. That's an interesting metaphor. Our bodies and minds are going through major changes. Sometimes emotions take over. We might have a desire to go back -- to our childhoods or to using. It feels like the discomfort is permanent despite what others tell us. Remember, not even mountains last forever. Adolescence passed and so will this. Bill found his work became his new addiction. It enabled him to avoid family and alcohol, but something still was missing. He started going back to A.A. meetings, and I assume he found what he needed. Like all of us, he rediscovered the support and personal accountability we find at A.A. The meetings strengthen our spirituality, restore ourselves, and provide opportunities to hel...

I don't mean to insult the religion or spirituality of your choice, but I feel like I have to point something out: Many Christians believe their religion is the only true way to worship. Jews claim to be the chosen people. What's up with that? We have a right to our beliefs, but we should allow others the right to theirs. Isn't it right to have that right? I don't know if my spiritual beliefs are true any more than you do. All I do know is that God guides my life. That's good enough for me. If your scripture claims I am headed to hell for faith different than yours, I'm sorry you are afflicted with spiritual perfectionism. I thought about this today because of a post in Faces and Voices of Recovery. Please read it, consider it, and try to see what I mean: Paul Noiles  shared a  post . Trust me I know.  🤣 Here are  a few examples of Spiritual Perfectionism: 1) My spiritual practice is not good enough unless...

I see this TV commercial a lot: "Foundation problems don't get better with time. If you're experiencing cracks in brick, cracks in block, cracks in drywall, or cracks around doors or windows, call...." My foundation used to be cracked, and it didn't get any better with time. That is, until I found God, went to A.A. meetings, worked the Twelve Steps, and read the Big Book and other mental health/spirituality books. Now I have no cracks in my mortar. Well, I have a few. But overall, my foundation is stronger now. The reason for abusing alcohol and other substances is a weak foundation. Whatever you try won't work until you build a sturdy foundation. That takes work. That takes support from others. That means having a dependable contractor (sponsor). If you have cracks in your foundation (And who doesn't?) patch them. Start now. It takes time to identify them and then make needed repairs.

The following is the first post on this blog. I am repeating it because it explains  how I started abusing alcohol and how I am recovering one day at a time. I am an unusual drunk. I never drank as a kid. As a young and middle-aged adult, I drank socially; yeah, sometimes too much, but I wasn't thinking about my next drink afterward. I had a wonderful childhood raised by teetotalling parents who loved each other and taught me to love. I was a straight-A student. I decided in high school to become a journalist and took advantage of writing opportunities in and outside of school. I landed a part-time sports writing job at our county newspaper. This led to a full-paid scholarship based on writing ability. I graduated a year early, got a job as news bureau manager in my mother's hometown where I still had lots of relatives, and jumped into work even before my commencement exercises. I married my childhood sweetheart at the same time I started a public relations job, where m...

[First published on May 18. 2018] I grew up as part of a family active in church. There, people told me what to believe. And I did believe. But later in my adult life, I became disillusioned with formal religion as it was taught to me. In my community relations job, I had become painfully aware of basic needs being unmet all around us. But for the most part, churches didn't know or else didn't care. I no longer felt religious, but I still believed in God. What's up with that? It wasn't until I got into A.A. that I learned religion and spirituality are different. I can be spiritual: love God, pray, seek to do God's will, and  don't judge others' spirituality . I believe there is one God, but how I perceive Him is up to me. We choose our own higher power. I had never seen spirituality from this perspective. Where you find your higher power doesn't matter. Just find it! One of my favorite books is  Awakening in Time , by Jacquelyn Small. She writes,...

The following is the first post on this blog. I am repeating it because it explains how I started abusing alcohol and how I am recovering one day at a time. I am an unusual drunk. I never drank as a kid. As a young and middle-aged adult, I drank socially; yeah, sometimes too much, but I wasn't thinking about my next drink afterward. I had a wonderful childhood raised by teetotalling parents who loved each other and taught me to love. I was a straight-A student. I decided in high school to become a journalist and took advantage of writing opportunities in and outside of school. I landed a part-time sports writing job at our county newspaper. This led to a full-paid scholarship based on writing ability. I graduated a year early, got a job as news bureau manager in my mother's hometown where I still had lots of relatives, and jumped into work even before my commencement exercises. I married my childhood sweetheart at the same time I started a public relations job, where my s...

I grew up as part of a family active in church. There, people told me what to believe. And I did believe. But later in my adult life, I became disillusioned with formal religion as it was taught to me. In my community relations job, I had become painfully aware of basic needs being unmet all around us. But for the most part, churches didn't know or else didn't care. I no longer felt religious, but I still believed in God. What's up with that? It wasn't until I got into A.A. that I learned religion and spirituality are different. I can be spiritual: love God, pray, seek to do God's will, and don't judge others' spirituality . I believe there is one God, but how I perceive Him is up to me. We choose our own higher power. I had never seen spirituality from this perspective. Where you find your higher power doesn't matter. Just find it! One of my favorite books is Awakening in Time , by Jacquelyn Small. She writes, "When we honor the higher power...

I am an unusual drunk. I never drank as a kid. As a young and middle-aged adult, I drank socially; yeah, sometimes too much, but I wasn't thinking about my next drink afterward. I had a wonderful childhood raised by teetotalling parents who loved each other and taught me to love. I was a straight-A student. I decided in high school to become a journalist and took advantage of writing opportunities in and outside of school. I landed a part-time sports writing job at our county newspaper. This led to a full-paid scholarship based on writing ability. I graduated a year early, got a job as news bureau manager in my mother's hometown where I still had lots of relatives, and jumped into work even before my commencement exercises. I married my childhood sweetheart at the same time I started a public relations job, where my salary doubled overnight. A feature story I wrote led me into marathon running, and I ran dozens of races through the next decades. While in college, I voluntee...