Dude I remember when I dime bag cost a dime....
Awhile back I went to the "doors to recovery" meeting in Rochester and I won a Limited Edition Basic Text in a raffle. It was someones anniversary and they had bought it for the group. In group conscience we decided to raffle it off and the proceeds would go to the area or whatever. Low and behold they drew my name from he hat and I won a brand new Basic Text.
I figured that since I won it I should at least read it and put it to its designed use. Having such a nice gift sit on a shelf in the office would be a crime, punishable by relapse. Its almost like God said, "Heres the payback for all the books you've given to newcomers over the years" kinda thing. I believe everything comes backa round at least once... everything.
I have been chipping away at the first ten chapters for about two weeks or so and I am now to the "stories" section of the book. The Sixth Edition, the one I have, is basically just the last edition with revised personal stories at the end of it. Its a better way for newcomers to identify with the program by reading something that is relativley recent and relevent to todays society. In the new edition they saved some excerpts from the previous stories and as I was reading them I had a flashback to early recovery.
When I was new, and I mean "new new" not "old new", I got this glimpse of me in my old apartment. I was dating/engaged to an addict who would not stop using, and we were living with my dad in Shelby Twp MI. I had an addict cousin who would come over and stay with us sometimes for the weekend and would then go back to KY, his homestate. The flashback was of my cousin and my dad in the living room watching a movie and my ex sleeping in bed with our T.V. on. It was night time and I wanted to read my original basic text, the fifth edition, you know the kind with everyother line highlighted and underlined. With nowhere to read being as my livingroom was in use, and my bedroom was dark, I went into my closet and turned the light on. Their I laid on my stomach somewhat and read "Fat Addict" , "Mid-pacific Serenity", etc. Here I am in this stupid closet, that probably still had drugs hidden away in it that I forgot about, reading NA literature. And I stayed clean. Today I read the Basic Text on my couch in my own living room. "And the loser now will be later to win, oh the times they are a changin'"
I figured that since I won it I should at least read it and put it to its designed use. Having such a nice gift sit on a shelf in the office would be a crime, punishable by relapse. Its almost like God said, "Heres the payback for all the books you've given to newcomers over the years" kinda thing. I believe everything comes backa round at least once... everything.
I have been chipping away at the first ten chapters for about two weeks or so and I am now to the "stories" section of the book. The Sixth Edition, the one I have, is basically just the last edition with revised personal stories at the end of it. Its a better way for newcomers to identify with the program by reading something that is relativley recent and relevent to todays society. In the new edition they saved some excerpts from the previous stories and as I was reading them I had a flashback to early recovery.
When I was new, and I mean "new new" not "old new", I got this glimpse of me in my old apartment. I was dating/engaged to an addict who would not stop using, and we were living with my dad in Shelby Twp MI. I had an addict cousin who would come over and stay with us sometimes for the weekend and would then go back to KY, his homestate. The flashback was of my cousin and my dad in the living room watching a movie and my ex sleeping in bed with our T.V. on. It was night time and I wanted to read my original basic text, the fifth edition, you know the kind with everyother line highlighted and underlined. With nowhere to read being as my livingroom was in use, and my bedroom was dark, I went into my closet and turned the light on. Their I laid on my stomach somewhat and read "Fat Addict" , "Mid-pacific Serenity", etc. Here I am in this stupid closet, that probably still had drugs hidden away in it that I forgot about, reading NA literature. And I stayed clean. Today I read the Basic Text on my couch in my own living room. "And the loser now will be later to win, oh the times they are a changin'"