'The Man in the Circle' - A story ...
Redmayne
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Manchester, England, UK.
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'The Man in the Circle' - A story ...
There was once a man, we'll call him me, who having drunk alcoholically for 30 years and now in recovery with well over six years sobriety behind him, still did not fully feel comfortable with himself...
He sat in his armchair, late into the night, thinking of why, despite all his efforts, which included reading about other faiths, beliefs and religions, modelling himself on characters he identified with in both fact and fiction. Even at one time associating himself with those who pursued an alternative lifestyle in what is regarded, rightly or wrongly as a marginilized section of society.
Wondering why, including his efforts to make spiritual progress, these feelings persisted, until eventually he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he found himself lying in the centre of a large circle painted on the bare floorboards of a large unfurnished room to which there was only one entrance door.
As he regained consciousness, he became aware of a moaning and crying sound coming from the far end of the room. When he looked up he saw a beautiful young woman in a diaphanous gown, shackled to the wall with the keys to the locks that secured her chains hanging from a peg on the wall. Adjacent to her but clearly out of her reach!
He immediately leapt to his feet and moved towards her, intending to secure her release, as he did so he stepped out of the circle. The moment he did this, the door to the room flew open and a large devil entered the room and began moving towards him in a manner which left no doubt in his mind that the devil would kill him.
In fear the man stepped backwards upon doing so he re-entered the circle, whereupon the devil stopped in his tracks, turned around and left the room, closing the door behind it.
The man repeated his efforts to save the young woman a further three times, each time he did so it brought the same result, as soon as he left the circle, the door would fly open and the devil would enter intent on killing him,until he stepped back into the circle.
Eventually the man confused,frightened and weary fell back to sleep in the centre of the circle where he knew at least he was safe.. .
When he awoke , he was in his own bed and the morning sun was shining through the windows and he had the answer to his troubles. As he both realized and in fact said to himself, 'I guess I'll just have to settle for who I am...'
Instead of confusing himself, in recovery with the idea that sobriety meant that, well intentioned as it was, he should somehow become another person.
And that in his case, the God of his understanding' or for the atheists and agnostics, their conscience wanted them to be no more and no less than the person they were all along before their disease/illness i.e. alcoholism, took hold of them in its insidious, self destructive way.
Dreams are like road signs, you don't have to stop for everyone, you just have to alter your driving accordingly...
He sat in his armchair, late into the night, thinking of why, despite all his efforts, which included reading about other faiths, beliefs and religions, modelling himself on characters he identified with in both fact and fiction. Even at one time associating himself with those who pursued an alternative lifestyle in what is regarded, rightly or wrongly as a marginilized section of society.
Wondering why, including his efforts to make spiritual progress, these feelings persisted, until eventually he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he found himself lying in the centre of a large circle painted on the bare floorboards of a large unfurnished room to which there was only one entrance door.
As he regained consciousness, he became aware of a moaning and crying sound coming from the far end of the room. When he looked up he saw a beautiful young woman in a diaphanous gown, shackled to the wall with the keys to the locks that secured her chains hanging from a peg on the wall. Adjacent to her but clearly out of her reach!
He immediately leapt to his feet and moved towards her, intending to secure her release, as he did so he stepped out of the circle. The moment he did this, the door to the room flew open and a large devil entered the room and began moving towards him in a manner which left no doubt in his mind that the devil would kill him.
In fear the man stepped backwards upon doing so he re-entered the circle, whereupon the devil stopped in his tracks, turned around and left the room, closing the door behind it.
The man repeated his efforts to save the young woman a further three times, each time he did so it brought the same result, as soon as he left the circle, the door would fly open and the devil would enter intent on killing him,until he stepped back into the circle.
Eventually the man confused,frightened and weary fell back to sleep in the centre of the circle where he knew at least he was safe.. .
When he awoke , he was in his own bed and the morning sun was shining through the windows and he had the answer to his troubles. As he both realized and in fact said to himself, 'I guess I'll just have to settle for who I am...'
Instead of confusing himself, in recovery with the idea that sobriety meant that, well intentioned as it was, he should somehow become another person.
And that in his case, the God of his understanding' or for the atheists and agnostics, their conscience wanted them to be no more and no less than the person they were all along before their disease/illness i.e. alcoholism, took hold of them in its insidious, self destructive way.
Dreams are like road signs, you don't have to stop for everyone, you just have to alter your driving accordingly...
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