[Signal30]

As we enter into recovery, most of us are introduced to our higher power. When the A.A. seed is planted, there our events in our life that give us “moments of clarity” and can truly give us a Spiritual Experience. The following event that happened to me was just one of the examples of how A.A. has changed my life, as well as given me a solid faith of a God of my understanding.

I am a police officer for a large police department. Part of the jurisdiction I police has a level one trauma hospital. Most call this hospital the “gunshot victim” hospital, and is the place those go to that have no insurance and cannot afford treatment anywhere else. Due to violent incidents that have happened in the past in the Emergency Department, which has the ER as well as a Psychological Emergency Service, the hospital hired the services of our police department to patrol the hospital.
Part of the police duties in the hospital is to run a metal detector and an X-ray machine, the same exact machines that are used at airports. Two of our officers are posted at these machines at the entrance of the ER lobby, the only entrance that is open in the night hours, (I work 3#rd shift.) This beat is rotated evenly through out the work week between officers. One night you may be in a car doing usual police duties like all police officers, the next night you are post behind these darn machines for over 8 hours. As you can probably figure out, this beat behind the X-ray and metal detector is a beat all of us dread to work. You often hear us complaining that we did not become a police officer to be airport security. Combine that with the hundreds of sick, homeless, and the nasty of nastiest people that got through these detectors throughout the night and it can destroy any good mood you might be in.
One night it was my turn to work behind the machines. It was a very busy night. There were 4 gunshot victims that came in, (3 of them fatal), and irate family members of these victims causing problems in the ER lobby. With that going on there were many homeless people coming in because it was around 20 degrees outside, and as long as they register to be seen they can stay in the lobby until they are treated and discharged, and they are there all night due to the ER being busy, sometimes having an 8 hour or longer wait.
This night was worse than usual nights working this beat. We had 4 arrests in the lobby alone, as well as angry and disgruntled medical staff members who were also forced to deal with angry patients and family members. Now, picture this scenario. If you have ever seen the movie ‘Bringing Out The Dead’ with Nicolas Cage, the scene at the beginning of the movie where it shows the chaos of the ER, it was pretty much like that only multiply that by 1000!
I was only about 3 weeks sober, and at the beginning of my recovery of alcoholism. Nights like this one I used to drink my woes away at the end of the shift, and was planning to do the same this night throwing away A.A., and seeing that my life just sucked and I was hopeless. I was becoming a part of the extremely negative environment around me and what happened next almost made me quit on the spot and throw my badge in the garbage can.
When working the metal detector a sick homeless “regular” came through the metal detector. I asked him to place any metal items in the tray before passing through the detector and he became irate and coughed right in my face. After he finally complied, and went through, the triage nurse came up to and told me that that man was diagnosed with TB, as she had a smile on her face. Needless to say I was FURIOUS!!! I can’t believe this guy coughed in my face having TB, not to mention the nurse though it was funny when she told me!
A few minutes passed and I tried to cool down as much as I could. Then another man was about to come through the metal detector. Without even looking at him, I told him to place all his metal items in the tray before passing through the metal detector, and I heard a metal item bounce in the tray that made me look into it. It was his A.A. coin. This man was a white middle aged who was calm and had a serine look about him. He greeted me politely and passed through the detector.
Several minutes later, I look a “mental health” break and stepped outside to smoke a much needed cigarette. When I went outside, I found the gentleman with the AA coin out there smoking also. I approached the man and said to him that I noticed he was a “friend of Bill W.” He was a really nice guy and I told him I was new to the program. I also unloaded the bad night I was having, and even said to him I was about to relapse. He began talking with me and told me that “this too shall pass”, was very comforting, and instantly made me feel a lot better. He ended up being my temporary sponsor for those moments. He had almost 25 years of sobriety, and sponsored many people. We talked for a little longer and he told me that he was there because his son tried to take his own life by slitting his wrists and overdosing on prescription sleeping pills and Vodka, (his son also has the disease of alcoholism). I couldn’t imagine what he was going through, yet he seemed so calm. What was even more amazing to me that, he actually took the time to talk to me, to make me feel better, even though his day was obviously a lot worse than mine. After we talked he returned to his son in the ER, and I continued my duties. I felt a lot better, and was able to go home and NOT drink. I have been sober since.
The next day I took time to reflect on what occurred that night. It was then where I realized that God truly does what we cannot do for ourselves. I believe it was God that brought me to talk to that gentleman. Even though this mans son was in serious condition, he took the time to care and help me, using the 12th step. Another example of how A.A. is an amazing program.
Now when I have bad days, I use the tools AA has given me, as well as asking God to help me through. Whether it’s One day, hour, or second at a time, by asking God to give you the strength, anything bad that comes into your life can be dealt with and pass.
Thank God for AA and all of its members.


Oh and I had a TB test days after the incident. I am fine.