[Janeytwo]

As Bill Sees It, pg. 8 Regardless of wordly sucess or failure...pain or joy, regardless of sickness, health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening....


Once upon a time I went to a 50th Wedding Anniversary for a lovely couple; both of whom were longtime AA members, one of them a founder of AA in Detroit. The founder was the wife.

She threw her 50th Anniversary party in a hall attached to a police station in Detroit that was owned by that particular precinct because as she said, "When I drank I spent a fair share of my time here at this police station. I figured I should celebrate my sobriety and my marraige here too."

That party was resplendent with an accordian player who was at least 80 and who only knew songs from the 20's. Lots of little old ladies and their dates dancing the jitterbug as best they could and a menu which included baloney sandwiches, pretzels and Big K Cola on sale half-price.

In short, it was the best shindig I ever attended.

One of the people there that day was a member of AA who'd been told that morning that he had roughly 3 months to live. When he got up to the microphone to toast the Anniversary couple he said, "I was given a choice today. I could either take the news I was told and give up right there - or I could come out and dance and eat a couple of baloney sandwiches. I decided on the baloney."


In my life there will be darkness and grief.

But there will also be shindigs with musical accompaniment of accordians and table top sing-alongs of Bicycle-Built-for-Two.

And I only hope that when the choices get hard I will have the strength to reach for the baloney and to understand that it's the simple things in life that define life.



(Aside to Ruthie. Thank you my friend!)