Originally Posted by
MissFixit 
what i meant was some people take a direct route, others take the scenic route. i have take the scenic route many times and had to learn hard lessons, but in the end i am glad i learned them.
Yeah. Put less kindly (thank you) Some Alanon folks . . . well THIS one at least . . . can Relapse. I did. Hard. About a year and a half in or so into the Program. I got everything I wanted and just quit.
Strange how I left the path. We came out of the deep hood side of Dallas. Rough Area. Just Rough. Getting the kids a decent house and decent school was my 4th Step. Just 12 hours into it we already had the house. We had been looking for 3 years. But just so I could know it was a God thing, He delivered that day. Big family house, way up in Lilywhite, on an acre with trees and horses in the meadow in back.
But I loved my old Alanon group so much that I did not want to go to another group up here. Even when folks would come and ask me to show up to help new guys. Boy, THAT is some shameful and selfish sh1t.
But God Gives and God Takes Away. Mrs. Hammer had already Relapsed, as well, and was spiraling downward. We wound up homeless just from the crazy -- not money like I would have thought. She wound up in Rehab, and I am back in Alanon -- and I have learned the only Bad Alanon is No Alanon.
And God restores. Have a nice house again, the kids are happy in school. Mrs. Hammer is working in a Rehab Center helping other folks. As I am reading in the Big Book this morning . . . THAT is the Best Way for an A to keep their Sobriety -- to be helping others. I guess God knows His business.
As for me . . . Continue to March. (my favorite military drill command). I pray I NEVER again take my eyes off of Him, His Will and His Way.
i also understand your tagline now.
Yeah, I am an Electrical Guy. Texas Master and Electrical Engineering. But I came up through the trades. And often on job sites there is a pleasant animosity between the Plumbers and Electricians. Both sides look down on each other. So I was SEVERELY humbled when at meeting a Plumber told me that he would think it extremely stupid to not be doing the Steps when in a Step based program.
So I have struggled for the past couple of months trying to do the Step stuff, but making no real progress.
Had to ask at a meeting last week for help. God delivers. As always.
Probably what is true on the A side is true on our side, too.
Best Way for an A to keep their Sobriety -- to be helping others.
I guess God knows His business.