A good book, with a great story

[Stoic]

Like many here, I suppose, I've accumulated lots of books about alcoholism and recovery. One of the best I've read recently is Seeds of Grace: Reflections on the Spirituality of Alcoholics Anonymous, by Sister Molly Monahan (not her real name). From the time she entered a convent in 1953, "Monahan" first became a social drinker, then a more serious drinker and, eventually, an alcoholic. During the process, sh gradually realized that she'd lost the capacity to pray (something rather serious for a nun, I would think), and ultimately much of her spiritual sensibilities. When she finally joined AA in 1983, she was struck by how much the spiritual life of the AA community reinforced, supported and extended the principles of spirituality she'd originally embraced as a nun.

It's a good book, well worth reading for anyone in AA. But there's a story, told to her by a fellow AA member, that alone is worth the price of purchase. This man had been in AA for a number of years, and was taking a long flight and had been airborne for about an hour when the pilot voice came over the intercom, saying: "Are there any friends of Bill W. on board?" After a flutter of laughter, the pilot continued: "If so, we'd be grateful if you would move to the rear of the cabin." The man was a bit perplexed, but rose and slowly made his way -- along with 5-6 others -- to the rear of the plane. There they found a young woman who was on her way to a rehab facility, and had also been struck with an overwhelming desire for a drink. She had called the flight attendant and asked if there were any AA members on board, which led to the pilot's announcement and request. These half-dozen AA members, who had never met this woman or one another before, spent the rest of the flight at the rear of the cabin, talking her through it, helping her stay sober, until the plane landed.

As many of you know, this is "how it works." I can't think of a better story to tell when people ask me why I'm in AA, and why it's been so important in my life.

[Stoic]

After I posted the story above at Sober24, I received several responses, including the following story which is just as good. I hope you all enjoy it...

Sometime in the early 1900's I was treating a woman in an intensive outpatient chemical dependency group. Let's call her "Grace". Grace was a flight attendant and had been suspended from her job with a major airline due to her untreated alcoholism. She had been stealing the little miniature liquor bottles and drinking in airport bars in uniform, etc. Her employer, realizing she needed treatment sent her to us.

After the eight week program, I suggested to her it might be a good idea to solidify her foundation in recovery before returning to work as she would be working in a high-risk environment (serving alcohol,
being out of town alone,etc).

Grace did however, return to work shortly
after completing outpatient treatment. One day while she was departing from a plane at the end of a long day a major craving for alcohol overpowered her. There she was, in the Los Angeles International Airport pulling her roller-bag behind her when this massive craving to drink came over her. She tried to just "think through it," or "just forget about it," but it was way too powerful.

It was so powerful, in fact, that she had resigned to herself that she would just go drink. Grace thought, Oh heck with it, I'll get another job..
or maybe no one will find out anyway.
But deep down inside Grace did not want to drink. She truly had wanted to stay sober, but she was in trouble.

On her way to the bar in the airport, Grace had a moment of sanity.
She stopped,picked up the airport paging phone and said, "Will you please page friends of Bill W.," she paused, quickly looking around for an empty gate, "to come to Gate 12?"

Within minutes, over the paging system in the LA International Airport came, "Will friends of Bill W. please come to Gate 12. Will friends of Bill W. please come to Gate 12" Most people in recovery know that asking if you are a friend of Bill W is an anonymous way to identify yourself as a member of AA.

In less than five minutes there were fifteen people at that gate from all over the world. That brought tears of amazement, relief and joy to Grace. They had a little meeting there in that empty gate, total strangers
prior to that moment. Grace discovered that two of those people had gotten out of their boarding lines and missed their flights to answer that call for help. They had remembered what they had seen on many walls in meeting rooms: "When anyone, anywhere reaches out their hand for help, I want the hand of AA to be there and for that I am responsible."

Grace did not drink that day, I would venture to guess that none of the people who came to Gate 12 drank that day either. Instead Grace had a moment of sanity, realized she could not do it on her own,took the action of asking for help and received it immediately.

[TracyAgain]

Originally Posted by Stoic

After I posted the story above at Sober24, I received several responses, including the following story which is just as good. I hope you all enjoy it...

That's a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing it.

Tracy

[Cathy31]

That brings tears to my eyes - both those stories! Just beautiful, thank you so so much for sharing!
Cathy31
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