We all know many people say it took a “crushing event” to bring them to their senses. Of course, we don’t need that disaster. It may be just a question of definitions for if we sustained just enough small disasters and we seek help, that “small” incident was enough. I believe any incident causing us to seek help is enough. The alcoholic doesn’t need to kill someone, suffer loss of a job or family. But honestly, get serious, an alcoholic usually doesn’t wake up one morning, stretch, yawn, and proclaim, “Gee, I think I’ll go into alcohol rehab. I’m drinking too much, maybe.”
Sadly, more likely than not, it does seem to take a jarring bump to tear us away from our ego, our supreme arrogance, and self-reliant attitude. “I can quit myself.” Well, most of us learn we can’t quit by ourselves and maintain sobriety for any period. Those who can usually call it that “dry-drunk time.” No, we must cleanly and finally break from our past dependence on ourselves and admit that we can’t do it. We’re helpless when it comes to alcohol, it’s wrecking our lives and our families. And the first thing we learn is that no matter how long or how much we drank alcoholically, we can do it if we take it one day at a time.
Maybe a “jarring bump” is needed. Remember, we have lived our lives depending on our own decision-making processes. We’re self-reliant or maybe we just follow the crowd and don’t know any better. Usually, we’ve lost much or all our spiritual basis for life. We don’t admit our life is unmanageable and even if we do, we don’t seek any spiritual support or guidance. Why? As human beings, we have the gall to claim outlandish arrogance. “I need no help from anyone or any spirit in the sky.”
As sensitive and uncomfortable as it may be, we need to recall those moments. After all, it was those moments of pain that probably pushed us into action and entry into the Program. It was the time we looked ourselves in the eye and asked, “Is this how I want to live?” “Help!” Maybe it’s something I need to recall around the time of an anniversary.
And, speaking of an anniversary; it approaches for me.
JimA St X Noon
