Monday, January 27, 2020

The many colors of a RAINBOW …


One of my old time blogger friends posted an entry many years back entitled “A guy who'd never met a Jew before”. As the title suggests it described the breaking down of age old prejudices.

Whenever I think of that it brings to mind the day that I attended my first AA meeting. It was in 1989 and I was “The girl who’d never met an alcoholic”. I remember looking around the room and thinking that I had absolutely nothing in common with this strange group of humanity. I was no longer a child and I, literally, couldn’t see where I could gain anything from these “misfits”. I had always thought of myself as a liberal, well educated and non-prejudicial person but, as I looked around the room,  I remember thinking that this was taking things a bit far !


Thankfully, I had a wise Sponsor who taught me to LISTEN and it made all the difference. She suggested that I reach out and try to find the similarities in my fellow members and I decided to give it a try.  All of a sudden the world seemed to open up before me. I realized that I had been living in a vacuum…and a boring one at that. I became teachable and the more I listened and opened my heart and my ears the more I learned. Now, after almost 31 years of continual sobriety, I cannot imagine a better way to live.

My friends are a conglomeration of different races, colors, sexual choices and ethnicities. They range in age from 17 to 94 and not a day passes that I don’t learn something new from them. We share laughter and tears and the knowledge that we will be here for each other as we continue on our journey of sobriety.

Today I feel like I have a metaphorical rainbow that covers and protects me. It is made up of the melding of all these colorful characters ... and to think that I almost let it pass me by !



6 Comments:

Blogger Marie Smith said...

What a life changing experience on so many levels!

1:22 PM  
Blogger Arkansas Patti said...

It appears that lesson helped with many aspects of your life and one we could all use. Your sponsor was one smart lady.

2:49 PM  
Blogger Anvilcloud said...

What a wonderful and insightful post.

4:36 AM  
Blogger NCmountainwoman said...

I have a dear family member struggling with alcoholism. You have no idea how much comfort it gives me to hear your story. He recently received his 60-day chip and was so proud. I hope he will continue on this path. Hooray to all of you who manage to tame this illness.

8:16 AM  
Blogger Goldendaze-Ginnie said...

From my friend Jan:

Yes, it is amazing what one can learn when one shuts their mouth and opens their ears AND mind! It can change your life!
Excellent post!

11:56 AM  
Blogger Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Thanks for expressing what so many others fail to listen to and learn from others. There is a wealth of sharing available if people would just listen.

6:31 PM  

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