Well this past weekend I went to a convention.... no not a swingers convention... it was a 12 Step convention. I had been planning this trip since June and had been counting the days. This was only my second convention and I have to say that in my 8 years in the program I really wish I could attend more of them. I feel like my spiritual batteries are charged up I feel more calm inside, full ove love for my fellow man, and full of hope for the future.
On Friday I got home at about 5:30am and after some quality time with Tab, she and I went to bed about 7 ... I set the alarm clock for 10:30 that way we could head out by 11 that would give us plenty time to get my check cashed, get a bite to eat, and be at the hotel by 3:30 or 4.
Well I forgot to turn on the alarm portion of the clock on and woke up at 1 in the afternoon... it was a mad rush to get out and on the road because the trip is about 4 and a half hours long. I was pissed at myself for being stupid, and I was grumpy with Tab for about an hour even though she had nothing to do with any of my misfortune. On the drive there we got stuck in Keenland traffic (First weekend of horse racing at the Keeneland tracks), if it wasn't for Tab telling me sweetly that everything was going to be ok and that we would just be "fashionably" late I would have blown my top.
We finally got there, got our room and rushed to get our registration packets before we took our things to the room. Now here is when I knew I was in the right place... from the momment we got there I felt this sudden rush of calm, people were hugging and laughing, I started seeing people I hadn't seen since the last convention two years ago, and I felt a sense of gratitude that they were still in recovery. I was home.
Tab and I had made plans to see a couple that are in the lifestyle but even though I REALLY wanted to see them, I didn't want to leave. I had a need to stay there and stay up as long as I could to talk with recovering addicts. I had the urge to meet as many people as I could, talking with newcomers (people new to the program), making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. I can't count the times I came up to people and hugged them... just because it looked like they needed one, nor can I tell you how many times I got hugged because I looked like I needed one. I can tell you though that I feel good as I right this.
I could go on and on about how much love I felt this weekend, how grateful I am to be clean today, how blessed I am to have people that love me and know where I have been because they have been through it themselves... but I think the best way to describe this weekend would be one sone by John Lennon "Imagine" .
For a weekend it was just a bunch of clean dope fiends caring about each other... there was no reconition of race, sex or anything other than we were in recovery or wanting recovery. I guess in one word it was a weekend of serenitity.
On Friday I got home at about 5:30am and after some quality time with Tab, she and I went to bed about 7 ... I set the alarm clock for 10:30 that way we could head out by 11 that would give us plenty time to get my check cashed, get a bite to eat, and be at the hotel by 3:30 or 4.
Well I forgot to turn on the alarm portion of the clock on and woke up at 1 in the afternoon... it was a mad rush to get out and on the road because the trip is about 4 and a half hours long. I was pissed at myself for being stupid, and I was grumpy with Tab for about an hour even though she had nothing to do with any of my misfortune. On the drive there we got stuck in Keenland traffic (First weekend of horse racing at the Keeneland tracks), if it wasn't for Tab telling me sweetly that everything was going to be ok and that we would just be "fashionably" late I would have blown my top.
We finally got there, got our room and rushed to get our registration packets before we took our things to the room. Now here is when I knew I was in the right place... from the momment we got there I felt this sudden rush of calm, people were hugging and laughing, I started seeing people I hadn't seen since the last convention two years ago, and I felt a sense of gratitude that they were still in recovery. I was home.
Tab and I had made plans to see a couple that are in the lifestyle but even though I REALLY wanted to see them, I didn't want to leave. I had a need to stay there and stay up as long as I could to talk with recovering addicts. I had the urge to meet as many people as I could, talking with newcomers (people new to the program), making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. I can't count the times I came up to people and hugged them... just because it looked like they needed one, nor can I tell you how many times I got hugged because I looked like I needed one. I can tell you though that I feel good as I right this.
I could go on and on about how much love I felt this weekend, how grateful I am to be clean today, how blessed I am to have people that love me and know where I have been because they have been through it themselves... but I think the best way to describe this weekend would be one sone by John Lennon "Imagine" .
For a weekend it was just a bunch of clean dope fiends caring about each other... there was no reconition of race, sex or anything other than we were in recovery or wanting recovery. I guess in one word it was a weekend of serenitity.