The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
I attended a concert last night for a band that is a favorite of my ex. It would be classified as great drinking music and many of the concert we did just that. There was a man at the concert with us whom we all watched and laughed at as he drunkenly danced with the staff that came to clean up the beer that spilled after he fell into someone, how we danced with the mop and during a slow song danced with his pretend partner. As we watched this, I turned to my friend, who's ex is also an alcoholic and said; "that's exactly how my ex was when he drank". And she said, "I would have given anything if mine was that tame"
Seeing things when you are removed from the situation gives you a whole new perspective -my worst moments with my ex would have been classified as "good" in her eyes. It's funny how this disease distorts our perspective.
I took video of this man, not to post but to share with him. They were funny and really he was having a good time! I said to him "what is your wife going to say when she sees these?" He said: "she knows how I am, there's no surprises for her". A few minutes later as we walked to the bathroom, my friend and I saw him stumble to the bathroom, twice almost falling over. A few minutes after his return to the concert, we noticed him resting his head in his hand and stopped over, passed out.
I immediately felt for his wife who wasn't there. Who knows maybe he doesn't drink often at all. Maybe this was daddy's day out and he just had a few too many. Or maybe this was the norm.
After living with an alcoholic and watching them go through recovery and myself going through it in al anon, it sheds a new light on drinking. Not bad, not good, just different.
I had such a fun night despite my few moments of processing this mans drinking (because it's how my brain works living with an alcoholic). I stepped outside of my comfort zone and went solo to meet this friend and her friends that I didn't know..and now I've made new friends in them.
Good on you for getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new! I am not a big concert person as I don't like crowds. I also don't like excessive consumption - so the two added together for me can cause anxiety. One great exemption - I went to see Elton John here in KC @ the Sprint Center, and it was AWESOME!!! The crowd was tame, it was an inside venue and I did not see one out of control person.
Glad you did something splendid just for you!!!
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Practice the PAUSE...Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you will avoid doing and saying things you will later regret. ~~~~ Lori Deschene