I'm feeling much better today.
I had a nice weekend, and 3 great AA meetings.
Hi Steve. Hi Irish.
Irish-
I'm in AA to save my own skin. I give of my time and try to help other alcoholics in the program and through the program. I can't make anyone get sober. I have a hard enough time staying sober myself. I havn't completed my steps yet, and I don't think I'm qualified to sponsor anybody. I try and practice my program at work, but I'm not out to preach or "save" anybody there. They arn't at a bar because they want help. If they want help, they can find help in the appropriate place (SR, AA, the hospitial etc...) Live and let live.
In my life, I try to practice attraction rather than promotion. There's been times, even before I quit drinking, when someone in the bar would speak to me about his/her drinking problem. I've always tried to help people, but I keep my anonyomity(sp?) at work. Why do I remain anonymous at work? Because there is a very good chance that I will fail and relapse. I don't want to give the program a bad name. Also, I don't go to work to talk about my personal problems with others. I do that at AA meetings. I've never met a barman who will spill his guts to his customers. You can't open youself up to that in this profession.
For the record, I have never seen anybody from the program at my place of business. Our customers are mostly college kids who havn't developed nasty problems yet..... We have a rapid turnaround in customers on any given day/night. It's rare when we have someone consume more that 6 drinks at our establishment. They usually start at our bar, then go dancing at a nightculb afterwards.
Alcohol is a useful and important part of society. It can be a good thing for people who don't have a problem. Just because I can't drink it, it doesn't mean others can't enjoy it. I really just see it as a job. I don't bring my personal life to work with me, and I intend on keeping it that way.
I agree that somebody who NEEDS help might end up at my bar. If they really WANT help, they arn't going to seek it at the bar. If AA were for people who NEED it, the meetings would have to be in stadiums and concert halls. I would love to help more people who WANT help. Although I'll find many people who NEED help in a bar, I'm going to have better luck finding people who WANT help in AA. At the end of the day, I've got to stay sober. I'm endangering my sobriety if I'm trying to help people who NEED help, but don't really WANT help.
Thanks for asking,
chip