The Journey

Clear away the wreckage of your past,
Give freely of what you find and join us.
We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.
My God bless you and keep you -- until then.
-- Alcoholics Anonymous, p.164


The joy is in the journey, so enjoy the ride


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Memorial Day

Elizabeth Barrett Moulton-Barrett once wrote,
"And each man stands with his face in the light of his own drawn sword.
Ready to do what a hero can. “

Many of the military emanated that prowless.

Fair winds and following sea to those that have gone on before.

And who are serving today.

A Humbled Vet ... USN (SW) Retired


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Kudos to Ping!

Not everyone is out to make a buck or take advantage of a situation.

This is a story for all the golfers in this world.
You might be inclined to buy this company's product.

THANK YOU, PING

On Monday, I played the Disney, Lake Buena Vista course. As usual the starters matched me with three other players. After a few holes we began to get to know each other a bit. One fellow was rather young and had his wife riding along in the golf cart with him. I noticed that his golf bag had his name on it and after closer inspection, it also said "wounded war veterans". When I had my first chance to chat with him I asked him about the bag. His response was simply that it was a gift. I then asked if he was wounded and he said yes. When I asked more about his injury, his response was "I'd rather not talk about it, sir".

Over a few holes I learned that he had spent the last 15 months in an Army rehabilitation hospital in San Antonio Texas. His wife moved there to be with him and he was released from the hospital in September. He was a rather quiet fellow; however, he did say that he wanted to get good at golf. We had a nice round and as we became a bit more familiar I asked him about the a brand new set of Ping woods and irons he was playing. Some looked like they had never been hit.


His response was simple. He said that this round was the first full round he had played with these clubs.

Later in the round he told me the following. As part of the discharge process from the rehabilitation hospital, Ping comes in and provides three days of golf instruction, followed by club fitting. Upon discharge from the hospital, Ping gives each of the discharged veterans, generally about 40 soldiers, a brand new set of custom fitted clubs along with the impressive golf bags.

The fellow I met was named Ben Woods and he looked me in the eye and said that being fitted for those clubs was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he was determined to learn to play golf well enough to deserve the gift Ping had given him. Ben is now out of the service, medically discharged just a month ago. He is as fine a young man as you would ever want to meet.

Ping has the good judgment not to advertise this program.

God Bless America and the game of golf.

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71311




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

H.R. [Human Remains]

Don't know if this story is true. But the message is appropriate for this weekend, I think. Thanks to all who have served.

My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains) "Are they military?" I asked.

"Yes", she said.

"Is there an escort?" I asked.

"Yes, I already assigned him a seat."

"Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck? You can board him early," I said.

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

"My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ," he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. "I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board," she said.

She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.

I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. "I'm on it," I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

"Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks."

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father.

The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, "You have no idea how much this will mean to them."

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

There is a team in place to meet the aircraft, we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, "Take your time."

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, "Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you."

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of God Bless You, I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

I know every one who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Faith In A Higher Power

Before the coming of faith in a cosmos that too often seemed hostile and cruel.
In it there could be no inner security for me.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 51

Take a walk with God.
He will meet you at the Steps.



We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Controversy

Given enough anger, both unity and purpose are lost.
Given still more 'righteous' indignation, the group can disintegrate; it can actually die.
This is why we avoid controversy.
This is why we prescribe no punishments for any misbehavior, no matter how grievous. Indeed, no alcoholic can be deprived of his membership for any reason whatever.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 98


Punishment never heals. Only love can heal.



We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Blind Faith

I began with blind faith, but the proof of truth is that it works.
I believed those who said they had suffered from alcoholism, but, through AA were now enjoying sobriety.
So the truth was there for me to see.
But shortly I knew the truth from my own experience.
I was not only released from the compulsion to drink; I was guided toward a compulsion to live!
- Came To Believe . . ., p. 51


Life will take on new meaning.





We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Unique

I genuinely believed that I was different until much later, when I had what I now know to be my first spiritual awakening; that I was an alcoholic and I didn't have to drink!
I also learned that alcoholism, as an equal opportunity illness, does not discriminate -- is not restricted to race, creed, or geography.
At last I was released from the bondage of my own uniqueness.
-- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 450


I am unique, just like everyone else.


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails. Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass. Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Keep your lug nuts tight.

The owner in Massachusetts just finished this 1938 Plymouth on Friday.

Saturday was to be a shakedown drive of about 50 miles just to see how it was.

Driving along and the left rear wheel came off ... the car dropped and the gas tank was punctured...the rest, as they say, is history.

He said all 5 lug nuts had come off and the studs were stripped on the updated 1990 Explorer rear end.









All 3 pictures taken Saturday April 30 2011


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

1959 Border ... B-)

Dear President Obama:

After viewing your press conference with Netanyahu, I am writing today with a simple request.

I ask that you return America to its August 20th, 1959 borders so that Hawaii is no longer a state and you are no longer a supposed citizen.

Warmest Regards,
Joe the Plumber

Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water.
Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'
She fooled them all .... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long I hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.
Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.
Pick them up tomorrow.

1. Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4. Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

5. If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8. Never buy a car you can't push.

9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11. Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12. The second mouse gets the cheese.

13. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15. Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

16. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

17. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.


Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

WW II: Sweet Adaline - B-17

And one story leads to another ... B-)

One of the more interesting stories in the MTO was of the phantom P-38, which was causing trouble for many crippled bombers.
Beginning on June 4, 1943, a crippled bomber was coming back from a mission against the island of Pantelleria.
The crew was considering bailing out of their bomber when they spotted a P-38 coming closer.
They immediately relaxed knowing it was coming to their aid.
The crew continued to dump extra weight from the aircraft, including the guns and ammunition.
Before the crew realized what happened, the P-38 erupted in gunfire and destroyed the B-17.
The only survivor was the pilot, Lt. Harold Fisher.
Fisher was rescued and was the target of fury from the fighter pilots by suggesting it was a friendly P-38 that shot them down.

Several weeks before Lt. Fisher's ordeal, a P-38 pilot was low on fuel and was lost.
He actually made an emergency landing just outside of Sardinia.
The pilot was captured before he was able to destroy his aircraft. Italian pilot, Lt. Guido Rossi came up with the idea of using this P-38 against the American bombers.
Rossi's strategy was to wait until the bombers made their attacks.
Rossi would then take off and scout around for stragglers.
He actually used this technique to shoot down several bombers.
Until Lt. Fisher, no other crews survived to tell of the P-38 shooting them down.
The American commanders were under the assumption that these missing bombers just did not make it back just as many before them.
Nobody thought a friendly aircraft was the cause.

After Fisher told his story, bombers crews were alerted to look for a lone P-38, which was posing as a friendly.
Fisher came up with the idea of using a decoy B-17 to attract Rossi.
Fisher's idea was approved and he took off in the experimental YB-40 gunship.
This was simply a modified B-17, which had more armor and guns.
He flew several missions lagging behind the rest of the formations, but never encountered Rossi.

Intelligence was being gathered and the Allies finally learned the identity of the pilot.
They also learned that his wife was living in Allied occupied Constantine.
An artist actually used a picture of his wife to paint a nose art picture on Fisher's bomber, and included her name, Gina.

On August 31, a B-17 raid struck Pisa.
Fisher was flying among the bombers, and was actually damaged by enemy fighters.
He recovered at a low altitude and had to feather two engines.
Before lone, a lone P-38 was approaching and the crew was on high alert.
Rossi, using very good English, contacted Fisher, just as he did on previous occasions.
Rossi immediately noticed the nose art on the aircraft and spoke with Fisher.
Fisher was still uncertain the pilot was Rossi and was chatting with Rossi normally.
Fisher decided to bait this pilot to see if it was Rossi or not, and began talking about Gine and her location in Constantine.
When Fisher was describing intimate details of their "relationship", Rossi lost his cool. He peeled off and began his attack.

Fisher ordered all guns to open up on this P-38, and Rossi had to peel off trailing smoke.
Rossi intended to ram the bomber, but began breaking up and could not maintain flight.
He was able to ditch in the water and survived.
Rossi was later picked up and taken prisoner.

Fisher was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross medal for his efforts.
Fisher would survive the war, but was killed in a transport accident during the Berlin Airlift.

Incidentally, Rossi was one of the mourners at his funeral.

And isn’t this wild and woolie ... so many stories. ... B-)


Notes on Interest:

B-17 Sweet Adaline Crew in Rabat, Morocco July, 1943:
Pilot Hank Tillman (second from right);
Ball Turret Gunner Frank Dancey (far left)
Sweet Adaline 42-30307, which was named after Pilot Hank Tillman's mother.
Ball Turret Frank Dancey said that they never flew this in combat and it was transferred to another crew and renamed the "Bonnie Sue".
It was shot down by an Italian captured P-38 on 11 August 1943.

1. Italians flyin the P-38 aircraft - Comando Supremo - 10:04pm
Except for the fact the Italians actually did fly a captured P-38 against US bombers, ... the actual Italian P-38 was grounded, not shot down, etc.
On August 11, 1943, chief test pilot Col. Angelo Tondi used the P-38 to intercept ...
www.comandosupremo.com/.../4733-italians-flyin-the-p-38-aircraft/

WWII: A True Wing And A Prayer ... The Rest Of The Story

But, the All American's job didn't end there:
While a Boeing engineer who inspected it stated that the airplane would not fly in such condition, later the 124406 was rebuilt and returned to action by the 50th Service Squadron.

Three survived from Captain Coulter’s bomber; Alfred D. Blair, bombardier; Ralph Birk, navigator and Sergeant Knight, tail-gunner entered a prison camp until the war was over.

The 50th MSS was originally constituted as Air Base Squadron, 49th Air Base Group Nov. 20, 1940, and activated at March Field (later March AFB), Calif., Jan. 15, 1941.
Within two days of activation, the squadron was redesignated the 50th Air Base Squadron and then 50th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron June 13, 1942.
After serving for three years as the installations' supporting squadron, the 50th disbanded on March 31, 1944.

After that, who knows.
One thing is for certain, the "iron men" of the sky held their planes together to help defeat Germany.

~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~@~~~

“ALL AMERICAN” - The Miracle B17
The Flying Fortress was one tough bird!
An attacking Bf-109 fighter tumbled through the tail of a 97th Bomb Group B-17F named “All American” on a mission to Tunis, Tunisia, on February 1, 1943.
Flyers in other B-17s were astonished to see the stricken bomber pitch up, recover, and keep flying.
An airman aboard “The Flying Flint Gun” snapped a photograph that would become famous.
It shows “All American” struggling to make it home with no port horizontal stabilizer and a terrible gash through the fuselage.

The photo was sent home with the following message: "Censor, Should there be some law, rule, or regulation against sending the picture below to my wife, please seal the flap above and return -- it is an unduplicateable shot and one I should hate to lose."
“All American” made it back to Biskra, Algeria, with all aboard safe.
--National Archives/Army Air Forces

(So this story puts the B-17 in North Africa,not England ... hmmmm, look into it more.)

B-)

WW II: A True ... Wing And A Prayer

We are so blessed that to this day we have young who put themselves in “harm’s way” for our country. These guys were normal folk, doing extraordinary things. ... B-)




A mid-air collision on February 1, 1943 between a B-17 and a German fighter over the Tunis dock area became the subject of one of the most famous photographs of World War II. An enemy fighter attacking a 97th Bomb Group formation went out of control, probably with a wounded pilot then continued its crashing descent into the rear of the fuselage of a Fortress named All American, piloted by Lt. Kendrick R. Bragg, of the 414th Bomb Squadron. When it struck, the fighter broke apart, but left some pieces in the B-17. The left horizontal stabilizer of the Fortress and left elevator were completely torn away.




The two right engines were out and one on the left had a serious oil pump leak. The vertical fin and the rudder had been damaged, the fuselage had been cut almost completely through – connected only at two small parts of the frame and the radios, electrical and oxygen systems were damaged. There was also a hole in the top that was over 16 feet long and 4 feet wide at its widest and the split in the fuselage went all the way to the top gunner’s turret. Although the tail actually bounced and swayed in the wind and twisted when the plane turned and all the control cables were severed, except one single elevator cable still worked, and the aircraft still flew-miraculously!

The tail gunner was trapped because there was no floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. The waist and tail gunners used parts of the German fighter and their own parachute harnesses in an attempt to keep the tail from ripping off and the two sides of the fuselage from splitting apart. While the crew was trying to keep the bomber from coming apart, the pilot continued on his bomb run and released his bombs over the target.

When the Bombay doors were opened, the wind turbulence was so great that it blew one of the waist gunners into the broken tail section. It took several minutes and four crew members to pass him ropes from parachutes and haul him back into the forward part of the plane. When they tried to do the same for the tail gunner, the tail began flapping so hard that it began to break off. The weight of the gunner was adding some stability to the tail section, so he went back to his position.

The turn back toward England had to be very slow to keep the tail from twisting off. They actually covered almost 70 miles to make the turn home. The bomber was so badly damaged that it was losing altitude and speed and was soon alone in the sky. For a brief time, two more Me109 German fighters attacked the All American. Despite the extensive damage, all of the machine gunners were able to respond to these attacks and soon drove off the fighters. The two waist gunners stood up with their heads sticking out through the hole in the top of the fuselage to aim and fire their machine guns. The tail gunner had to shoot in short bursts because the recoil was actually causing the plane to turn.

Allied P51 fighters intercepted the All American as it crossed over the Channel and took one of the pictures shown below. They also radioed to the base describing the empennage was “waving like a fish tail” and that the plane would not make it and to send out boats to rescue the crew when they bailed out. The fighters stayed with the Fortress taking hand signals from the Lt. Bragg and relaying them to the base. Lt. Bragg signaled that 5 parachutes and the spare had been "used" so five of the crew could not bail out.

He made the decision that if they could not bail out safely, then he would stay with the plane and land it. Two and a half hours after being hit, the aircraft made its final turn to line up with the runway while it was still over 40 miles away. It descended into an emergency landing and a normal roll-out on its landing gear. When the ambulance pulled alongside, it was waved off because not a single member of the crew had been injured.

No one could believe that the aircraft could still fly in such a condition. The Fortress sat placidly until the crew all exited through the door in the fuselage and the tail gunner had climbed down a ladder, at which time the entire rear section of the aircraft collapsed onto the ground. The rugged old bird had done its job.

Promises

We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness.
We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.
No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience will benefit others.
That feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear.
We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows.
Self-seeking will slip away.
Our whole attitude of economic insecurity will leave us.
We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us.
We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, pp. 83-84


God enters us through our wounds.



We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Blessings

I can now understand how some things, which seemed like major disasters, turned out to be blessings.
Certainly my alcoholism fits that category.
I am a truly grateful alcoholic today.
I do not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
Those events that once made me feel ashamed and disgraced now allow me to share with others how to become a useful member of the human race.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 402


The storm has passed.
I've learned a little more about peace.
It was inside all the time.


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Beginnings

We have found that for us recovery began with not drinking -- with getting sober and staying completely free of alcohol in any amount, and in any form.
We have also found that we have to stay away from other mind-changing drugs.
We can move forward toward a full and satisfying life only when we stay sober.
Sobriety is the launching pad for our recovery.
- Living Sober, p. 4




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Fear

The foundation stone of freedom from fear is that of faith; a faith that, despite all worldly appearances to the contrary, causes me to believe that I live in a universe that makes sense.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 51


The power within me is far greater than any fear before me.


F E A R = False Evidence Appearing Real.




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Dry Drunk

A dry drunk is mostly a childish tantrum, an interval of immaturity, a regression to those frantic drinking days of self-will run riot.
Nevertheless, it can still be a perilous period for the alcoholic struggling for recovery.
I know that there have been dark days when a will infinitely greater than my own has been responsible for my sobriety.
- The Best Of The Grapevine [Vol. 1], p. 20

Without change I am just a non-drinking drunk.

D R Y = Doing Recovery Yourself.


We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Patience

Too many times discouragement has been the bonus for unrealistic expectations, not to mention self-pity or fatigue from my wanting to change the world by the weekend.
Discouragement is a warning signal that I may have wandered across the God line.
The secret of fulfilling my potential is in acknowledging my limitations and believing that time is a gift, not a threat.
-- Daily Reflections, p. 70


Patience is passion tamed.


P A U S E = Patience And Understanding Succeed Every time.




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Women

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.
If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.
If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.
If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.
If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.

Women are Angels.
And when someone breaks our wings,
we simply continue to fly....on a broomstick.
We are flexible like that.



... B-)

Evaluation

I am not as given to arrogance as I once was, because I am slowly accepting myself, liabilities and all.
I even think I might have a few assets.
AA taught me that it was safe to evaluate myself.
Ten thousand thanks and a golden coffee mug to those who have listened to me so long and helped me find out about myself.
- AA Grapevine, May 2011, p. 29

Pride without gratitude is arrogance.




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Entanglements

Tying our sobriety to someone we are emotionally involved with proves flatly disastrous. "I'll stay sober if so-and-so does this or that" puts an unhealthy condition on our recovery.
We have to stay sober for ourselves, no matter what other people do or fail to do.
We should remember, too, that intense dislike also is an emotional entanglement, often a reversal of past love.
We need to cool any overboard feeling, lest it flip us back into the drink.
- Living Sober, p. 62

No one is going to mess up my day.




We cannot change the directions of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.
Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.
Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise. ... B-)

Obsession

Most of us have been unwilling to admit we were real alcoholics.
No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows.
Therefore, it is not surprising that our drinking careers have been characterized by countless vain attempts to prove we could drink like other people.
The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker.
The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.
Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death.
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 30

When we try to control our drinking, we have already lost control.



We cannot change the directions of the wind,
but we can adjust our sails.

Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.

Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise.
... B-)

Fr. Mychal Judge Prayer

"Lord, take me where You want me to go;
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say,
and keep me out of Your way."

- Fr. Mychal Judge, O.F.M., Chaplain,
New York City Fire Department
beloved AA member perished in the World Trade Center
while tending to wounded, 09.11.01

Prayers may seem unanswered, but never are.



We cannot change the directions of the wind,
but we can adjust our sails.

Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.

Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise.
... B-)

Solitude

When we cease to fear loneliness and begin to cherish and use our solitude to advantage, we have come a long way.
Solitude can be sought and experienced in many ways -- in the silence of nature, in reading poetry, in listening to music, and in sincere thoughtfulness.
We are alone, but not lonely.
- Came to Believe . . ., p. 109


The stillness of God speaks louder than a choir of voices.




We cannot change the directions of the wind,
but we can adjust our sails.

Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.

Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise.
... B-)

Humility

On his desk, Dr. Bob had a plaque defining humility:
"Perpetual quietness of heart.
It is to have no trouble.
It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore; to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me.
It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace, as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about is seeming trouble."
- Dr. Bob and the Good Oldtimers, p. 222

Learning is the very essence of humility; the two walk hand in hand.


We cannot change the directions of the wind,
but we can adjust our sails.

Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.

Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise.
... B-)

Gratitude

I try to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits.
When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.
- As Bill Sees It, p. 37

There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.




We cannot change the directions of the wind,
but we can adjust our sails.

Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass.

Have a beautiful day unless you plan otherwise.
... B-)