So on Friday night, I was pulling into a parking spot at my favorite Friday night meeting. When pulling in, I clipped a car, and left a nice little scratch in someone's car. No big deal. I told the guy about it, gave him my license, ownership, and proof of insurance.
So he gets back to me today: It's going to cost $600 to repair the damage. $600 for a scratch I'm proof positive I could have a buddy of mine fix for probably $200-$300. (He owns an autobody shop.)
But this still isn't a big deal. And I'll tell you why: Because when I went into that meeting (admittedly, I was embarrassed) I explained the situation to the people at the table.
One of the people at the table was a younger fellow (younger than me, and I'm 26. Pretty young for AA standards.) who shared a story about how he could no longer drive, after having his license revoked after smashing his car into a wall in the midst of a blackout.
Another lady was explaining how she felt bad, because she couldn't bring her kids to functions, due to her multiple DUI's, and having a revoked license.
So my point is this: As bad as we think we have it sometimes, there's ALWAYS someone who has it worse.
Furthermore, I've learned that a much better course of action is to actually DEAL with these situations, in a direct, honest manner. Normally, had I hit someone in a parking lot, I'd have looked around, and hightailed it out outta' there ASAP!
And from there where would I have went? Straight to the liquor store, or the local dealer's house.
Dealing with fear isn't always easy, but I need to deal with it head-on, or else I'm not going to stay sober.
Just some food for thought from this drug-addicted alcoholic.
Because at the end of the day, no matter what I achieve, and no matter how successful I become...........I'll always be nothing more than a $2 drunk and a drug addict. And if I *EVER* lose sight of this, I'm headed for big trouble!
Thanks for your time, and good luck in your recovery!