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.
Progress, not perfection... ..."half measures avail us nothing".
I always tend to quit before getting to the finishing line. Working with thi sat the moment. Making sure I finish a task- before going on to the next one. Growing up on a farm- I had always to take care of the animals first. Then the trees and plants. This is a dry valley- and we had to irrigate. So without timely action things could die easily.
{Hmmm...maybe I see the present crisis in this light too!}
Had contact with an old friend from our northern tribe Nga Puhi... ...she is down this way hunkering down with her mum. Friends of 48 years! Seems like yesterday, sometimes. She and her sister were street kids age 11 and 12 years old. has been through everything that live could chuck at a human being. We share survival skills- and a great measure of gratitude!
There is a lot more activity online- because of the world wide lock-down. My nearest group has gone over to zoom. I have chosen to stick with this group- MIP Alanon.
So far, in my country we have only had one fatality, because of the virus. I think that is a pretty good record. I have been following the pandemic closely. My interest is in the destructive and addictive pandemic that has been around us for generations. A pandemic that appears to be invisible. But it does claim lives, shorten lives and wrecks lives on a daily basis.
I used to be a newsaholic and had to detach- just a few years ago. But this round is different. It is a time where each and every person needs to pitch in.
I harvesting our late peaches yesterday- and processed them for freezing.
Life goes on... ...it is a great feeling not to feel isolated these days- many networks of people- and connections.
Each one is a vital link!
I am a great believer in the butterfly effect... ...one day at a time.
Mid- afternoon... Wednesday... nice mild afternoon. My SO's birthday. She is an essential worker- working at home and doing some call-outs. Here, in the group, is is really boundaries 401 for me. My only aspiration is to be a group member.
I might have been tempted to get away and try and form a bond with F2F group. I do attend, and as a visitor. A regular visitor. But I am still bonded with this group, right here.
This is a tough period in history. But, as the monkey said, as he swallowed a bar of soap- "This too shall pass!"
I wondered if I had missed out- on being a sponsor myself. Back down the track I was the only male in the group- so it was a non-starter. But I did become a mentor- outside of Alanon- with three different people over a period of 16 years.
I think us long timers, old timers or 12 steppers have to demonstrate good boundaries. And for me, especially, continue to learn and to grow emotionally... ...
-- Edited by DavidG on Saturday 11th of April 2020 01:23:51 AM
Stuff happening... ...the middle of Easter... but it doesn't seem like a holiday at all- just another day.
I think and pray mostly for my friendship family in Fiji- who hav begun their lock-down. And are cleaning up too after a massive hurricane.
They has massive power poles saving the village- and they are all laying on the group. Fairly sure their crops have been destroyed. A major set-back...
I am still sitting on Concept 4: "Participation is the key to harmony."
I have always wanted to see Alanon, AA and ACA working closely together. NA too- and others- but I am not a stakeholder, personally.
I have leaned heavily on this group over the last few months. Right now i have been selected as an admin with a large online ACA group. Over 11,000 members and counting. So many people coming forward with access to F2F groups limited. At the same time I joined a smaller group- where I can roll up and just be a member. Somewhere to hang-out. ...
Our local f2f people were not too kind to ACA, right from where it started. Around here, with John's dream, we are united.
Betty used to visit the ACA group too...
... I am expecting to be more centred, and more focussed... ...this has been happening slowly, day by day. I can recall many aspects of my life; and see this now with pride. I have learned how to apply healing- to myself, for starters.
Always wanted a desk job... always wanted to make use of a healthy empathy, and latent skills and talents. ...
Peaches! One overcast morning when we lived in a house with a big deep yard that had a tall peach tree at the back, the two of us and our big, black cat were out in the yard. And we heard a funny buzzing noise. Hubs would sometimes take a ladder and pick the peaches he could reach, but mostly we picked them up off the grass. Some birds got a share, as well.
Nobody had gathered the peaches for a day or two, and there had been a rain in the night. As we approached the tree, we realized that there were many, many drunken bees, lying on their backs on the still-wet grass, or inside a small pool of rain water and fermented peach juice in half-peaches, or trying to fly, but getting only about a foot off the ground. There were hundreds of them, and they were buzzed for sure. Had obviously been there all night. I can still hear that strange, low drone and remember the smell the boozy peaches.
The cat went picking his way among them, but we approached very carefully.. Over the course of the morning, those that could, sobered up enough and dried out their wings enough to fly back to the hive.
I wondered if the honey would taste somewhat of peach brandy that year.
Temple
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It's easy to be graceful until someone steals your cornbread. --Gray Charles
Progress, not perfection... ..."half measures avail us nothing".
-D.
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