In 12 step programs the way to stay sober is doing service. Service is one person helping another. That is the way you stay sober, helping others. If one person stays sober it helps us all. That's true. Still, that's not the way people really feel.
Years ago I was at a 12 step meeting. A woman who was celebrating 10 years was speaking. She was about 38 years old. Her story was great. She was married and was having issues with her husband and wanted to leave him when she got sober. Her sponsor convinced her to stay and she did and they worked it out. She closed stating that she was four month pregnant and happy.
Everybody applauded. But the mood in the room changed. There were a lot of single thirty and forty something women at this meeting. During the break, a lot of them expressed that this particular story made them feel "less than." Like, "why does SHE have a husband and a baby on the way and I don't?"
That's how people really feel. Sure you're taught that you should be happy for others, but do you really feel that way?
I believe that is the main reason things are so messed up in this country. People don't want "other people" to have things they don't, even if they really need them. "Why should so and so's child get a free college education?" Never mind that the person questioning this makes half a million dollars and can afford to send an entire village to school. It's always, why does THAT PERSON have what I don't?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
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So I went on vacay for two weeks to the Caribbean, came home and caught a nasty stomach bug which I'm not over yet. Ugh. The vacation was nice. I like going on cruises, you can get a good deal going on them. Sure they may be expensive up front, but if you know how to play the game, you can get all kinds of stuff for not a lot of money. Plus there's entertainment, movies and all types of stuff all included!
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