Now, Then, Now Again, Tomorrow

Now

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.
- Babatunde Olatunji

I first heard this quote...where else?.....in an AA meeting. I love this! One of my greatest challenges is living now. For a long time I didn't even know I needed to do that. Then someone introduced me to the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. The premise made a lot of sense to me, but until I got sober I really had no clue how to implement the concepts in my life.

While looking up the above quote online I found this great web page of "Now" quotes (click now if you want to see it) on a site called "Wisdom Quotes." I like quotes because they're easy to remember (and, of course, handy when it's my turn to speak in AA meetings and I draw a blank) so I've added this site to my ever-expanding favorites list.


Then

In a recent Step One* meeting (Step One is always the topic when there's a newcomer - first meeting - in the room) someone mentioned that when he first came to AA he questioned if he were really an alcoholic. His sponsor suggested remembering the first time he drank, the last time he drank plus any "memorable" drinking incidents in between. Even though I'm convinced I'm an alcoholic I tried it. Yikes!

The last time I drank (except for some farewell wine the night before my first AA meeting) was one night when I had reached a point where I couldn't stand the pain of what I was doing to myself and my family, so I drank, no gulped, Jack Daniels straight from the bottle. Unremarkable for a good old Southern drunk like me. What was extraordinary was that it did not take away the pain. Not at all. Let me repeat. IT DID NOT RELIEVE THE PAIN AT ALL. That scared the shit out of me.

Very often people say that's what finally drove them to AA. The alcohol quit working. Of course a lot of people also decide they need to quit before the alcohol quits. And unfortunately a lot of people aren't able to quit drinking even when the alcohol does quit working. I believe that was the situation with my friend L. But of course I'll never know for sure since he's dead now.


Now Again

That sobering (sorry) train of thought reminds me of the daily reprieve I have from getting drunk. I'm so grateful for that gift. And I'm so grateful for all of you, the friends I have made in blogland. And I'm just as grateful for any of you who stop by every once in a while to see what's going on in my world. Maybe someday you will, as Brad would say, "Join us on the porch." Or maybe not. It doesn't matter. I'm glad you're there.


Tomorrow

Just so you know, starting tomorrow and continuing for the next two to three weeks I'm going to be away from home. That means I may or may not have a chance to read your blogs and add to mine. It is nothing sinister...a planned outage if you will. But I will stop by as much as I can. And even if I can't you will all be on my mind.

Take care.

Flip

* Step One: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become unmanageable.