Broccoli and Booze, back by popular demand.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Merritt Island, Fl
Posts: 1,164
Broccoli and Booze, back by popular demand.
Mental obsessions, by their very nature are invisible to those who have them. We can see yours, but not our own. That's why we have meetings. In order to get a glimpse of mine, I substitute broccoli for alcohol to see if my behavior makes sense.
I know that if I were invited to your home for dinner and you served broccoli, I would have some and I'm sure I would enjoy it. But if you didn't, I wouldn't begin to squirm and ask, “Do you have any broccoli in the house?”
I have never had a couple of broccolis before going to a dinner party.
If someone suggested going to Denny's after a meeting, I probably wouldn't ask, “Do they serve broccoli there?” And I probably wouldn't go out to the car, reach up under the seat and have a couple of broccolis before we left. When we got there have a couple of before dinner broccolis, a couple of broccolis with dinner, an after dinner broccoli, maybe a broccoli for the road. And then go home and eat up all the broccoli in the kitchen.
And then think, “maybe I have some broccoli in the clothes hamper.”
And I have never stood outside of a produce stand, waiting for it to open.” If I did any of those things, you would have to say I had a serious broccoli problem. And if you understood any of that, you are one sick puppy. Do you see how ridiculous we are?”
So, obviously I was powerless over alcohol. But, was my life unmanageable?
It seems to me that if you do things you don't want to do, your life must be unmanageable whether you're alcoholic or not.
If you have ever been arrested and didn't want to be, your life is unmanageable.
If you have ever ridden in the back seat of a police car, and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable.
Now if you asked a police officer if you could go for a ride in the back seat his car and he said, “Yes.” That's a different, but most police officers will say, “No.”
If you ever spent the night in jail and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable.
As a matter of fact, you cannot spend the night in jail just because you want to. If you don't believe me, go up and knock on the door of the jail and tell them you want to spend the night. They won't let you. You must have an invitation.
If you have ever worn handcuffs and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable. Of course, if it was a sexual thing and you wanted to wear them, that's different.
If you ever attended a meeting you didn't want to attend, your life is unmanageable.
If you ever had a probation officer and didn't want one, your life is unmanageable.
If you ever attended a meeting you didn't want to attend, to get a paper signed that you didn't want to have signed, to take it back to the probation officer you didn't want to have in the first place, you life is totally unmanageable.
Just sayin....
I know that if I were invited to your home for dinner and you served broccoli, I would have some and I'm sure I would enjoy it. But if you didn't, I wouldn't begin to squirm and ask, “Do you have any broccoli in the house?”
I have never had a couple of broccolis before going to a dinner party.
If someone suggested going to Denny's after a meeting, I probably wouldn't ask, “Do they serve broccoli there?” And I probably wouldn't go out to the car, reach up under the seat and have a couple of broccolis before we left. When we got there have a couple of before dinner broccolis, a couple of broccolis with dinner, an after dinner broccoli, maybe a broccoli for the road. And then go home and eat up all the broccoli in the kitchen.
And then think, “maybe I have some broccoli in the clothes hamper.”
And I have never stood outside of a produce stand, waiting for it to open.” If I did any of those things, you would have to say I had a serious broccoli problem. And if you understood any of that, you are one sick puppy. Do you see how ridiculous we are?”
So, obviously I was powerless over alcohol. But, was my life unmanageable?
It seems to me that if you do things you don't want to do, your life must be unmanageable whether you're alcoholic or not.
If you have ever been arrested and didn't want to be, your life is unmanageable.
If you have ever ridden in the back seat of a police car, and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable.
Now if you asked a police officer if you could go for a ride in the back seat his car and he said, “Yes.” That's a different, but most police officers will say, “No.”
If you ever spent the night in jail and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable.
As a matter of fact, you cannot spend the night in jail just because you want to. If you don't believe me, go up and knock on the door of the jail and tell them you want to spend the night. They won't let you. You must have an invitation.
If you have ever worn handcuffs and didn't want to, your life is unmanageable. Of course, if it was a sexual thing and you wanted to wear them, that's different.
If you ever attended a meeting you didn't want to attend, your life is unmanageable.
If you ever had a probation officer and didn't want one, your life is unmanageable.
If you ever attended a meeting you didn't want to attend, to get a paper signed that you didn't want to have signed, to take it back to the probation officer you didn't want to have in the first place, you life is totally unmanageable.
Just sayin....
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,348
I love this analogy! In fact I remember reading it a while ago and I borrowed it when I chaired one of my first meetings. At first I got a few sideways looks, what is this crazy girl talking about broccoli for??? Then the lights went on, ooooooooh, if I thought about broccoli the way I think about alcohol, people would say I'm completely addicted to broccoli! That I have a serious problem with broccoli! So...maybe I have a serious problem with alcohol.
Love it Stugotz!
Love it Stugotz!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 432
Yeah, I hated myself the most on those occasions when I'd ALREADY had plenty to drink by any normal standard, but I still had to go to the liquor store or access one of my secret stashes afteward. GOOD GOD am I glad those days are over....
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