Deja vu all over again
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Somewhere in the midwest
Posts: 99
Deja vu all over again
Woke up early this morning with a pounding head, in a strange bed. First the sinking feeling:not again; then searching the memory banks for the activities of the previous night while still not completely awake. I looked at the clock, 4:30 a.m. and pulled the pillow over my head. I was alone in the strange bed. Then I woke completely and it all came back to me: the postponed flight, the shuttle to the hotel at midnight, checking in, drinking some herbal tea, collapsing wiith fatigue. I did not drink last night! I didn't! I made it through day 12, alone on a business trip, stuck away from home one more night having missed my connection.
Not only didn't I drink, I made it through the many hours at the airport quite calmly and peacefully. Stayed in the moment, kept my head from awfulizing everything. It was what it was.
But still, the pounding head... made a phone call and within an hour of landing, was getting a massage to rub out the knots. Headache gone, dogs walked, unpacked, feeling great.
Hallelujah hallelujah!
P.S. the airport had free wifi which helped immensely! Spent a lot of time reading forums.
Not only didn't I drink, I made it through the many hours at the airport quite calmly and peacefully. Stayed in the moment, kept my head from awfulizing everything. It was what it was.
But still, the pounding head... made a phone call and within an hour of landing, was getting a massage to rub out the knots. Headache gone, dogs walked, unpacked, feeling great.
Hallelujah hallelujah!
P.S. the airport had free wifi which helped immensely! Spent a lot of time reading forums.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Buzz-free Zone
Posts: 1,372
Friends of Bill W Please Come to Gate 12
Whew! Same here Nellie...I cringed while reading the beginning of your post (sounded too familiar). What a very happy ending! Good for you. Great story too!!
Did you ever read the story "Will Friends of Bill W Please Come to Gate 12?" I first saw it in "Chicken Soup for the Recovery Soul" book. Here's a reprint:
""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 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 about 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 of 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. This help is available to all of us if we want it and sincerely ask for it.. It never fails.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do."
Did you ever read the story "Will Friends of Bill W Please Come to Gate 12?" I first saw it in "Chicken Soup for the Recovery Soul" book. Here's a reprint:
""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 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 about 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 of 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. This help is available to all of us if we want it and sincerely ask for it.. It never fails.
God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do."
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Seattle!
Posts: 211
GREAT POST!
There was a post a few days back about dreams re: our DOC. After not having any for a while, I had one right after reading that thread (what can I say - my brain is so nice to me!). I had this exact same feeling today - a bit panic-y and manic, like, omg wtf did I just do! And then I realized that the Red Stripe can in my hand a few moments ago... wasn't real... WHEW!!!
I loved this post. Congrats on day 12, you rock!!
There was a post a few days back about dreams re: our DOC. After not having any for a while, I had one right after reading that thread (what can I say - my brain is so nice to me!). I had this exact same feeling today - a bit panic-y and manic, like, omg wtf did I just do! And then I realized that the Red Stripe can in my hand a few moments ago... wasn't real... WHEW!!!
I loved this post. Congrats on day 12, you rock!!
Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Buzz-free Zone
Posts: 1,372
Originally Posted by clifty2 
Humblebee I never heard that story before. It's really amazing!! Thank-you so much
I just told another member that that story is just one of an entire collection of personal recovery stories in that book (Chicken Soup for the Recovery Soul) if interested. Take care.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
