Quote for the Quarter
The alcoholic at certain times has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power.
-Big Book Page 42
The Last Marble
Hello All,
This is Rodney D., sobriety date of July 26th, 2004. I’d like to pass on a little story that was told to me as I was leaving my third A.A. meeting back in August of 2004. I was in Oklahoma City about to leave the next day after a 5-week business trip. I had met a recovering alcoholic at those meetings that befriended me while I was there. Her name was Zola. Some of you may have heard of her. She had at that time about 34 years of sobriety (yes, thirty four) and of course I listened to every word of experience, strength and hope she had to offer. She asked me if I was going to come to the meeting that Thursday evening. I told her that my business was finished and I had to return to Fort Smith the next day and would not be able to attend. She laid her purse down and reached deep inside it and gave me a shinny little marble. I asked her what this was for? She told me that when I decided to have that next drink, whether it be at a bar, home, at a party, where ever, to walk over to the curb, the side of the road, the lake shore, where ever I was and to throw that marble just as far as I could throw it. Of course, with a puzzled look on my face, I asked her what the heck for? She told me to do that to prove to myself, the world and to God that I had just lost my last marble. With the help of God, the program and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, I still have that marble. When I speak at A.A. meetings, I bring my little bag of marbles and I will give one to every alcoholic there so they too can prove to God, the world, and themselves that they have lost their last marble as they go to take that next drink. I did promise Zola as I left that final meeting in Oklahoma City that I was going to contact A.A. back in Fort Smith. I did make that call when I got home and some grumpy old man at the Inner Group answered and told me when and where the next meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous was. Most of you know that grumpy old man and I thank God everyday that he was there on the other end of the phone line when I made that call. I thank everyone for the opportunity to pass this little story on and I hope it will put a brief smile on your face.
Rodney D.
July 26, 2004
Silly Season
Fueled by the high commercialism of Christmas I find myself more often the victim of my own desire, my own covetousness during America’s ‘silly’ season than at other times. To covet is simply to desire something that I do not have. So I sat myself down recently to make a list of the things I covet…a DSL camera, my neighbors front lawn, software for my computer, a friend’s annual income, a new car. My list went on. I began to notice that with every item I wrote down another one would pop into my mind, and that all this coveting also led me to compare myself with other people. I began to feel resentment toward all of these ‘haves’ and toward my being a ‘have not’. Self pity was soon to follow, a deadly combo for an alcoholic. I started to cook up ways in my mind of getting some of these things, changing my priorities around so that economic issues can top the list. I said to myself, “It’s just healthy ambition, working for a better life, providing more for the family, the American way!”. Of course, I will have to make some sacrifices. Work hours and efforts will have to come ahead of AA meetings, but I’ll catch the ones I can. God can still steer my life, we’ll just go in a slightly different direction now. Who knows, maybe I could even get to the point where I’m set for life! Then I read this story:
The story of the fisherman and the business man – An exhausted businessman traveled to a faraway island for a vacation. Everyday he went to the beach to swim and relax and every day he noticed a man with a boat and fishing net. He was cleaning one, maybe two fish every day. The business man finally asked, “You’re a fisherman, right? I noticed that you catch just one or two fish a day.” The fisherman replied, “Yes, I usually find plenty of fish in the morning.” The businessman asks, “But what do you do with the rest of your day?” The fisherman replied, “Well, let’s see. I clean the fish to eat or sell. I go home and take a nap. I work on my house, I eat supper with my family, then I play guitar and sing with my friends.” The businessman then said with a frown, “Well see here, if you were to fish all day you could probably triple your profit. You could use that to buy a bigger boat, hire workers, and maybe even expand your business by getting into distribution.” “Why would I do that?” the fisherman asks. “Why, you could eventually get to the point that you would be set for life. You could quit work and stay home most of the day, know that your family would have what they need, relax and spend time with them and your friends whenever you wanted.” “Well man,” the fisherman said, “that’s what I am doing right now but I only have to catch one fish a day to do it!”
Alcohol is a subtle foe, and it has lots of subtle allies that turn my focus inward toward me. The desire to have more is much encouraged and even expected of us in our society. But even this sort of desire unleashed will lead me away from God, away from recovery, and strait back into the hell from which I came. ‘Silly’ isn’t it!
-Caruth
Upcoming Events
Pioneer Christmas Alcathon
6:30am Monday, December 24 through 10:00pm Tuesday, December 25. Lunch both days at 1:00pm, please bring side dishes! Speaker Jerrey W. Monday at 2:00pm. Speaker Ray S. Tuesday at 2:00pm. 50/50 Drawing Tuesday at 7:15pm.
Register Your Groups !
To keep those seeking AA meetings in our area from showing up at empty buildings, your intergroup comity requests that all area groups re-register themselves by turning in the attached form to John at the intergroup office or filling out the online form at www.fort-smith-arkansas.org by January 10, 2008 in order to be listed!