Daily Reflections reading
September 23rd
I Was An Exception
He [Bill W.] said to me,
gently and simply, “Do you think that you are one of us?” ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 413
During my drinking life I was convinced I was an exception. I thought I was beyond petty requirements and had the right to be excused. I never realized that the dark counterbalance of my attitude was the constant feeling that I did not “belong.” At first, in A.A., I identified with others only as an alcoholic. What a wonderful awakening for me it has been to realize that, if human beings were doing the best they could, then so was I! All of the pains, confusions and joys they feel are not exceptional, but part of my life, just as much as anybody’s.
© Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on September 23rd
Reading
Well I can't ever remember anyone in AA
asking me if I was one of them in A.A., just by looking at me they knew I was,
but they did hold out there hands to me and said welcome to your recovery,
today is the first day of the rest of your life let us show you how to start
over thru using the program, don't concern yourself with the God issue,
if you don't believe in God just keep an
open mind to the thought there is a power greater than yourself and your never
alone we are always here to help, will like so many other like myself coming
into the program, I was an exception after all I was the ruler of my universe I
knew all and could fix all your problems, I was never wrong
Even if my best efforts of trying to be
God failed I was the exception, all I really needed to do is learn the right
way to drink, I needed to find out how to drink socially, I really thought you
people were going to teach me the secrets of how to drink and not make an ass
out of myself again
I always had a great feeling about
myself, never was shy or felt I did not belong in any place I went, I was after
all in control of my life, and tried to control the lives of all those around
me, conceded to the max until I lost every friend I thought I had
I too I identified with others In A.A.
only as an alcoholic, until I started to listen with an open mind, speaker
after speaker had some part of my story in their shares, but I still have a lot
of problems with identifying with most because I was comparing them to myself
I had done many of the same things, but
they all were talking about how they got their family's back, how they got back
into the big bed, wife and kids all forgave them and accepted them back into
family life, how they share to be able to stay sober themselves they had to
give this away
That did not make much sense at the time,
what did they mean that had to give it away to stay sober, if I ever gave
anything away I never got it back, what did I get myself into a bunch of nuts,
but they explained it to me to give the teachings away is how they stay sober
Any time we pass on the teachings in the
twelve step we always find something new about our selves the more we pass this
program on to others the more we learn about ourselves, we see in the newcomer
what we ourselves used to be like and how we found the way out
What a wonderful awakening it has been to
realize that, I was just a human being with a disease of mind body and soul, “I
Was An Exception” only in my sick mind, took a little time to understand this
power greater than myself but I did find the God of AA all loving and
forgiving, so today I feel great passing on what I have learned in recovery
So others can find their way thru the
twelve step to this fantastic new way of life we now enjoy, I don’t think if I
was truly an exception I would ever have opened my mind to this Gift of
sobriety today I am just another bozo sitting in the middle of the room
listening and sharing
God bless you Al M
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