SPONSORSHIP

Sigmund Freud is the man in the picture frame. Ed, the artist who painted this felt it set the mood for the rest of the painting. The girl on the left is his wife and I am the frustrated old gal in the green chair ready to tear my hair out. It is how he envisions (tongue-in-cheek, of course) our once a week, 2 hour AA sponsorship meeting.

A sponsor, by the way, is simply an AA member with longevity in the program who guides a newcomer through the difficult times in sobriety. I guess it IS a sort of therapy session so I can understand the inclusion of Freud in Ed's picture but I needed an explanation for the string hanging from his wife's neck? “Oh, that?, he said, “It's for you. Just pull the string and she stops talking!”

I've never had to do that and just feel good that Ed and his wife have learned to laugh at themselves. It's all uphill from here ...