Monday, November 3
AA Meeting
One of the assignments in my Chemical Dependency class was to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and write about my observations. This is part of what I wrote:
A woman got up to open the meeting and said, "Hi, I'm Lisa and I'm an alcoholic." I was impressed with the honesty and courage it takes to say that to a roomful of people, some of them strangers. Lisa couldn't know if everyone there was an alcoholic or, like me, was there to observe. It must be humbling to admit to a lot of people that one has a problem, even if everyone else has the same problem.
The first speaker was named Richard. He said one of the causes of his alcoholism is he came from a dysfunctional home. His father was an alcoholic and was physically abusive. Richard has cerebral palsy and is always in pain. He said he used to think pain was a good reason to drink but now he realizes pain is just an excuse.
Richard looked at the clock before telling the group that he had been sober for 13 hours. At first I thought he meant that he had been drinking 13 hours ago, but he went on to explain that he did not count yesterday because it was the past. Richard said he could not count on tomorrow, so all he had was today.
When he said that, the urgency of Richard's situation hit me. Between his poor health and the danger of a relapse, all he has is right now. My heart went out to him because it seemed to me that Richard is just hanging on and that's a frightening position to be in....
The speakers mentioned life in "the hall", which I take it meant AA halls, and it occurred to me that for some people, AA is like a society. Richard, the first speaker, said that he went to at least two meetings a day in different towns.
The meetings take up a lot of his time, but I guess they're like a life line for him. Also, I think that the other members might be like family to him. He mentioned that he was estranged from his family and he reaches out to his AA sponsor when he needs help. A lot of the people there seemed to know each other well and get along well. I imagine that their AA friends have replaced their drinking buddies.
At the end of the meeting we said the Lord's Prayer together, standing in a circle and holding hands. I've never done that with a group of strangers before and it made me feel bonded to them. I wonder if I were an alcoholic and were desperate for a drink, would this meeting be enough to stave off the desire. Listening to the speaker's stories of success was encouraging. Hearing about their struggle and failures was eye opening, considering that "There but by the grace of God go I."
The speakers and their stories made an impression on me. Three weeks after attending the meeting I still remember their names. I care about Richard, Chris, Lisa, Rosie and Walter. I want them to stay sober.
A woman got up to open the meeting and said, "Hi, I'm Lisa and I'm an alcoholic." I was impressed with the honesty and courage it takes to say that to a roomful of people, some of them strangers. Lisa couldn't know if everyone there was an alcoholic or, like me, was there to observe. It must be humbling to admit to a lot of people that one has a problem, even if everyone else has the same problem.
The first speaker was named Richard. He said one of the causes of his alcoholism is he came from a dysfunctional home. His father was an alcoholic and was physically abusive. Richard has cerebral palsy and is always in pain. He said he used to think pain was a good reason to drink but now he realizes pain is just an excuse.
Richard looked at the clock before telling the group that he had been sober for 13 hours. At first I thought he meant that he had been drinking 13 hours ago, but he went on to explain that he did not count yesterday because it was the past. Richard said he could not count on tomorrow, so all he had was today.
When he said that, the urgency of Richard's situation hit me. Between his poor health and the danger of a relapse, all he has is right now. My heart went out to him because it seemed to me that Richard is just hanging on and that's a frightening position to be in....
The speakers mentioned life in "the hall", which I take it meant AA halls, and it occurred to me that for some people, AA is like a society. Richard, the first speaker, said that he went to at least two meetings a day in different towns.
The meetings take up a lot of his time, but I guess they're like a life line for him. Also, I think that the other members might be like family to him. He mentioned that he was estranged from his family and he reaches out to his AA sponsor when he needs help. A lot of the people there seemed to know each other well and get along well. I imagine that their AA friends have replaced their drinking buddies.
At the end of the meeting we said the Lord's Prayer together, standing in a circle and holding hands. I've never done that with a group of strangers before and it made me feel bonded to them. I wonder if I were an alcoholic and were desperate for a drink, would this meeting be enough to stave off the desire. Listening to the speaker's stories of success was encouraging. Hearing about their struggle and failures was eye opening, considering that "There but by the grace of God go I."
The speakers and their stories made an impression on me. Three weeks after attending the meeting I still remember their names. I care about Richard, Chris, Lisa, Rosie and Walter. I want them to stay sober.
Thursday, October 30
Skater boy
As I was driving past Skater's Edge, a shop located in the heart of fabulous Manch Vegas, where skaters buy boards, accessories (extra wheels? lubricant? what does a skateboard need?) and oversized, overpriced threads resplendent with graphic designs, some young skate pup had the temerity to hold up traffic so he could get a running start for a trick he executed.Which ellicited this response from me:
Skater-boy, skater-boy skate away home.
Your homework's on fire and your iPod is gone.
It was a great trick, though.
Wednesday, October 29
Tuesday, October 28
Monday, October 27
Quite possibly my favorite poem
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two!
And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
-Jabberwocky, Lewis Carroll
Friday, October 24
Thursday, October 23
Reviewlet: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Like The Kiterunner, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a sensitive book, capable of a great scope of emotions. This is the second saddest, heaviest book I've read. As such, the story is probably a fitting tribute to Afghani women. Reading it made me intensely grateful for my country, my freedom, prosperity, all kinds of blessings, and basic human dignity. And it made me proud of American troops who are, hopefully, kicking Al-Qaeda tail.
Darn good thing the ending was slightly happier than the rest of the book, or I would have been in danger of dehydration. As it was I needed water after sobbing for a quarter of an hour.
Wednesday, October 15
Friday, October 10
Thursday, October 9
Wednesday, October 1
Welcome to Snarkopolis
Dude who asked me for directions this morning: I sort of regret taking off in the opposite direction while you were still talking, but I had a schedule to keep and you weren't paying me for my time. It took your post-hippie brain 30 seconds to formulate your question, 30 seconds to process my response and I-don't-know-how-long to find the name of the street you were looking for even though the directions were right in front of you.
Also, let's face it: you're not the safest looking guy. While your Keith Richards wannabe look might make some biker chick say "Yum", it didn't exactly inspire my confidence. That ponytail, hair bandana and giant gypsy earring? All very nice if you're dressing up as Jack Sparrow for Halloween, but October 31 is a long way off and we're even further from the summer of '69. And what was up with that furry, dead-animal-looking beaded thing hanging from your rearview mirrror? What was that, anyway? I wasn't about to get one foot closer to your rape van to find out.
Now maybe you're a perfecly lovely person who was just having a rough day. If so, lo siento, perdon, mea culpa and all that, but a lone woman 's gotta look out for herself, you know? Dude?
Also, let's face it: you're not the safest looking guy. While your Keith Richards wannabe look might make some biker chick say "Yum", it didn't exactly inspire my confidence. That ponytail, hair bandana and giant gypsy earring? All very nice if you're dressing up as Jack Sparrow for Halloween, but October 31 is a long way off and we're even further from the summer of '69. And what was up with that furry, dead-animal-looking beaded thing hanging from your rearview mirrror? What was that, anyway? I wasn't about to get one foot closer to your rape van to find out.
Now maybe you're a perfecly lovely person who was just having a rough day. If so, lo siento, perdon, mea culpa and all that, but a lone woman 's gotta look out for herself, you know? Dude?
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