Eauchiche

Once in a while I encounter someone who has either been part of AA, AlAnon or CR for a period of time. In some cases, they are very proud of the length of time they have been "sober."

Last night, a lady came to my AlAnon group who attends sporadically, and is a total control freak. I will refer to her as "Blanche" after "A Streetcar named Desire," because this lady is as "hot as a cat on a tin roof." I was tempted to leave the meeting early after she started her usual routine. I was glad I stayed, because the meeting was very good.

After enduring her last night, I realized that the Almighty probably caused her to move out of her recovering addict husband's house so that he could maintain his sobriety.

I am grateful to this lady and others like her, because they show me how much work I have to do in my own program yet.

Thumper

Yes. Some people are like a beautiful promise and others are horrible warnings, lol.

Hammer

Phrase we tend to use in Engineering circles is: "If you can not be a Good Example, perhaps you can be a Cautionary Tale."

lillamy

and

Thank you for the laugh, Eauchiche -- I needed that today!

davenport

Extremely controlling people always trigger me. Especially at work. I tell myself I'm surround by control freaks because I need a daily reminder that the only thing I can control is myself. Its very hard to control my reaction when all day every day someone is trying to tell me what to do, but the more it happens the easier it is to have an appropriate and healthy response. I am very grateful for the opportunity to improve my personal response.

GracieLou

This is so true. I can see things in myself so much clearer and faster by watching others. Sometimes that is because what I see inspires me to drift in that direction while others let me see what I already am and helps me push away from that line of behavior.

Today I am open to this kind of thinking. I used to judge others so I could compare myself away and now I identify and that is used as a tool to learn tolerance and to take what I have seen or heard and apply it to make a change in myself.

Either way, a lesson is learned, what I do with that lesson is the important next step.