Redmayne

Those who check out my profile will see that over a period of45 years, starting at the age of 15, I've had four careers,in the service of my country, the community and ironically, in one case those who serve the community, constantly spending my time in the service of others, and I say that with due modesty. You see, in my early 30's, this fine upstanding fellow became a drunk! The most 'succesful' of my careers, and it was killing me!

Retired at the age of 60, and still drinking, when I moved to my present accommodation, my 5th home in 7yrs, doesn't take much to work out that things were getting worse, much worse!

I remember chatting to an old lady who rand a small , local shop were I could get my booze, being new to the area we were swapping backgrounds,she a former librarian, when I told her of my background , she said,"It must be very hard to slow down after all that!"

That thought stayed with me, as it beganto sink in to my addled brain that for once, I know longer had to concern myself with the welfare of others, my only responsibility was to MYSELF!

It's often said that A.A., is a 'selfish' programme, added to by the fact that when Bill W. had spent a year trying to get other people sober and complained to his wife, Lois, sometimes credited with being the founder of A.A., 'it wasn't working', she replied ,"But it is, you've stayed sober for twelve months."

So, whilst it is true to say, 'we're all in this together', as a Community or Fellowship, you do this for yourself, without concern what others think or might say, accepting that your 'drinking buddies' will disappear, along with the booze, and good riddance. In my case, I did it for myself, no one else matters, the only one that did, and still does today is the god of my understanding, no more, no less.

The rewards for this act of 'selfishness', I was sober when my Mother, who had always been my best friend, died and still sober when my grandson was born almost a year to the dayafter her passing in 2010.

I'll leave it at that....