Thursday, April 26, 2007

NOW THIS IS WHAT I CALL RECOVERY

A simple email from my husband yesterday stated

"you only live once! now is time to start living responsibly and enjoying it. I love you and will see you at 4.30"

WOW is all I can say. I forwarded a copy of this to my alanon sponsor. Wow was her response as well.

"Living responsibly" is an oxymoron when dealing with an alcoholic.

When an alcoholic is on the truth path to recovery they really do see things more clearly. When an alcoholic starts thinking and talking about responsible living...THAT'S RECOVERY!

I look forward to the "fruits coming to bear" of this new way of living.

-Hunter

Where am I Today

Hunter here-

I don't really know where I am today. I know that I still have enormous financial pressure and that our family today is living way beyond our means. We are living where I want to live-in an amazing community in an incredible school system we just need to be able to afford it before we lose it. We have lost so much, I pray we don't lose this.

Yesterday I interviewed for a job opportunity that would be so gratifying, interesting, challenging, fun, and also pay our basic bills. I did the best I could during my phone interview with HR and all I can do now is pray I go the next level. I have gone to the next level with many wonderful opportunities recently and then.....someone else has been chosen.

It is so frustrating to me to be so very talented in sales, fund raising, community relations, business development, strategic thinking, new product development, and managing of others and not be given the opportunity to utilize these skills. I wish I had a vision for my own business as I could thrive but for today I really need the steady cash flow of a job.

This is so not where I thought I would be at age 46 and so not where any of my friends are-all are very successful in their careers and live in the upper echelon of society. They are not in the Forbes 100 but are comfortable enough to live well, vacation well, give their kids all they could possibly need and want, pay their bills, maintain their credit rating, and give money away to those less fortunate. It would be so great to be in this position and so frustrating to me that I have been in this position before and lost it. How do I get it back?

It is also frustrating to me that I am a beautiful and very sexy woman who has completely let herself go. My body aches and is full of fat cells. How could I have done this to myself????? Yesterday at my son's baseball game I observed how men interacted with a very skinny and pretty girlfriend of mine. It was definitely not the same as how they interact with me. Not that they are mean to me, it is just different. When one is overweight it is kind of like being invisible.....I guess the hell I have lived in over the past decade has made me want to be invisible...OR...has it been the past decade? Maybe I have wanted to be invisible most of my life??? I really don't know but as I look back on things I realize that today I am the best person I have ever been.

When I interviewed for this job opportunity yesterday I was asked very standard "tell me about" type questions. One of the questions was what did I value most in co-workers and relationships..The answer was simple-I value honesty and people who do what they say they are going to do, including showing up! It is amazing how simple these values are and how frequently they are not adhered to. I was also asked about my management style. This answer was simple for me as well: "Set clear goals and standards of what is expected, learn about the people you are working with and allow them to reach these goals using their unique talents and skill sets. Do not micro-manage and be confident that as they grow and thrive so will you-the more you give away, the more you get...let them work from home if they need to or take time off in middle of the day to go to their kids recital or sports events and trust that they will take care of what they need to do...If the expectations are clear , so should the consequences of not achieving their goals.....SO I ask you...why am I not given the chance to thrive professionally and help others?

Another one of the questions I was asked made me think of my current boss, whom I like, but is a micro manager. If I write a document she spends 2 hours reviewing it and changes one word to make it her own and requests we use that; she sends out reports I write and spend hours on under her name; and she does not allow me to communicate with the clients.....I have to practice my alanon program everyday in this job and say to myself all the time "how important is it" and let it go. I am a work horse.. I have completed in 6 months double what the average person has and always do above and beyond what is asked...By doing above and beyond I am confronted by her and encouraged to aspire to mediocrity! It boggles my mind...and it boggles my mind that I have encountered this in other postions with people who are clock watchers and focussed more on watching the clock rather than on achieving set goals and objectives...as a result of their management they build teams that aspire to mediocrity who do only what is asked and not a bit more. AND it frustrates me that I have to conform to this sometimes...BUt it is all part of doing the next right thing. However, I will alwyas do more than asked as that is my nature.

Anyway, I am just climbing out of the abyss that alcoholism, combined with loss of my mom as I know her, and all the chaos that ensues. It is painful to think about my life a year ago. I recall I was called "calamity Jane" by a former employer before he fired me and that it was basically impossible for me to function. I recall having our home burglarized and finding out from the police that the sole suspect was my estranged husband, a tree falling on my son's playground and destroying the entire set-thankfully he was not outside when it happened, things breaking in the house and having no money to fix them and no help, missing my mommy and being unable to talk to her as her alzheimers took away her memory, and things falling apart wherever I turned.

I AM SO GLAD THINGS ARE SO MUCH BETTER TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

As Mark's mind is becoming clearer, so is mine and so is my home. I am just beginning to experience a peaceful happy home that I have always dreamed of and I am grateful for this...I guess I am also just beginning to experience and understand me as an independent person and not someone that needs to be and someone who has a lot to offer to others. I am just beginning to feel an inner peace that radiates to others.....

I guess all else will fall into place....on God's time. I just have to keep doing the next right thing.

Today I am grateful for a beautiful healthy child who brightens my life more than I could ever have imagined, I am grateful for Mark's sobriety and commitment to it as all of our lives are better as a result and the man I fell in love with is starting to emerge, and I am grateful that I am just starting to see me. I must start taking care of myself and get off this excess weight. Thousands of people have done this there is no reason I can't. Like Mark with alcohol, losing weight and staying committed to it will be very hard for me as I have battled with my weight all my life...But I guess that is the key word "battled" It is time to stop battling and to let go. I must surrender to God and make my personal health (this includes maintaining a healthy body weight) a priority.

Today I am ready to surrender and do the next right thing.

Hunter.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

keep coming!

Mark alcoholic,

KEEP COMING!

This is something we say at meetings to newcomers. I used to hate hearing this but it does make sense. There is an element of perseverance in stopping what you have been doing for some 25 years for some of us it does not happen first time around .

It is truly the hardest thing I have done. This sounds crazy to some, how could it be so hard to stop drinking alcohol? But for me these first few months have been tough and I can truly say well worth it. For people that drink normally it will be hard to understand but If I pick up a drink I can't stop.

I have had an OK day. Two meetings, still waiting for some final news on some work stuff but nothing worth worrying about. I am seeing some great improvement in my son and he seems to really be doing well in all areas. My wife is doing well although I know she is still building trust in me and she is a little frustrated on the career front but she is very smart and a great worker and I am sure she will be just fine.

The alcoholic has no clue how his actions when drinking affect all around him and really we don't care. In fact, in most cases we blame those around us for our drinking problems. How sick is that.

I have helped a couple of guys today with some encouraging calls. One guy is having a very hard time and has a few days back. He said he really wanted to drink today. I told him instead of buying that bottle of vodka to buy a journal and write down what that bottle would do to him. This is a guy was in lock down last week, can you believe it? I also suggested that if really wanted to drink to get to another meeting and if he wanted to drink wait until after the meeting. He went to a meeting and he did not drink today I hope and pray .

I have to continue this daily vigilance for a long time. I am not cured I wake up every morning with untreated alcoholism and take my medication by going to a meeting. It just has to
be a new way of living for me and I have to also make it fun. Although it is a life or death situation for me I do bring some humor to the meetings I have to for my sanity.

I live in a very strange town. We have tons of meetings full of all types. We have very wealthy and very poor but you know the thing I love about AA is that it is a common denominator the alcohol effects us all no matter what the size of your wallet. This gift is available to all suffering alcoholics and when you are ready you will know it does not matter what your bottom is there is a way out for all of us!

SO KEEP COMING!

Thanks for letting me share.

Mark alcoholic

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

There for the Grace of God go I

Mark Alcoholic,

Had a good few days because I did not drink. It's amazing how simple it is when you have the gift .I had 5 mates slip in the past few days. One guy was two weeks out of HighWatch , and, just like me, he lost it. I pray he gets back.

The meetings are carrying a new message for me. It's hard to explain but I really am starting to get the full meaning of all the slogans and have great hope. I have added a second sponsor-typical me- grandiose bullshit -got to have more than one.... That's me.

I went to great meeting this morning. A friend spoke. What a story. This guy has a Rolls Royce story but when you end up in a prison cell after a bender they don't care what you do or what you drive!

Today he has the gift, is 15 years sober, and is a terrific guy. It really inspires me to know that this simple program works if you work it.

Hunter has been OK. She did a terrific job today juggling many things working; interviewing for a fantastic new opportunity; being a mum; and cooking and serving dinner at the local shelter for 35 people- I know half of them from from my meetings! I did not want to go tonight to serve dinner but I have done it before and it really helps others as well as me and my family. My wife reminded me that this is a 12th step opportunity. The people at the shelter who know me from meetings had a big smile on their faces and I spoke to all of them. By being there with my family as a happy unit I (and many of them have seen me struggle over the years) I was sharing my experience stregth and hope with them-leading by example.

Many people participate in cooking and serving dinner at the shelter for "brownie points" For me and my family it was different: It was my family helping others and being a living example of the gift of recovery as a family. Talking to my friends was as important to them as it was to me. Unlike others who do this for "brownie points" I do not look down on anybody. I could have ended up in a shelter and my actions almost put my family in one! If I pick up again it well might be!

Today, I do have hope. I am trying to finish my career plans and am expecting closure on a major project this week. I will let you know. I cant do anything if I drink! I must never forget that ever.

I am starting to hear from my father that he thinks my elder brother has a drinking problem. How could this be possible ? What do you think 2 bottles of wine for lunch and 2 for dinner everyday for most of your life is?... You tell me dad!

I can only make suggestions to my father as I do not speak to my brother and have not for some time - due to my problem. I guess that will change in time .

This is how I feel today: optimistic, my prayers may have not been answered but I know they are being heard .

Good night .

Thanks for letting me share .

Mark alcoholic.

OK

Things are OK today. I had yet another job interview. All in God's hands. I am doing the best I can everyday and that is the best I can do. That and pray. We prepared and served dinner as a family for the local homeless shelter. Mark did not really want to do this but once we went he agreed this was a great 12th step for him as many of the people who eat at the shelter and live at the shelter have seen Mark struggle with his recovery and are observing his journey in sober living. Seeing him and our family together and helping others is great experience, strength, and hope for the people in the shelter as well as a wonderful experience for us as a family. Our son is going to be a "mentor" for peers with learning disabilities this summer by participating as a volunteer in a town camp for these kids. I am so proud that he has chosen to do this. Our son has been through so much with this disease that it is wonderful to teach him to help others. I am exahusted...it has been a busy day-teaching preschool, going to part time telemarketing job, rushing home to cook a meal for 40, delivering and serving the meal,helping with homework, applying for a few more jobs on line, walking the dog and doing a bit of excercise.......It is great to be busy but I need to get into bed. Grateful today for mark's sobriety as it makes all of our lives easier and grateful for our families recovery. I still miss my mom terribly and hope to be able to see her very soon.

Hunter

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Just for Today

Hello from Hunter-

Just for today it is sunny and 70 degrees...It was like this yesterday as well. I am going for a walk with the dog and then taking our son and a friend of his to the beach. mark will probably come but it is hard for him as he associates this activity iwth drinking.. hard for me to get in the mind of an alcoholic who romances alcohol and associates fun with "a nice glass of champagne or wine". Personally, the thought of a drink in the middle of a beautiful afternoon makes me want to puke. It gives me a headache, makes me tired and ruins the rest of the day as I become immobilized. How on earth can anyone can romance that and think how wonderful it is boggles my mind! Anyway, where am I at today? I am lazy.. This is a beautiful day and I should have had the house cleaned and been out and active exercising, swimming, and having fun. But no, I am in my pajamas at 12:15, our son is in his room playing games, and I am writing this blog. I have scanned the job boards looking for work but and decided not to send any resumes today. I am fed up with the process. I am always rejected! I am grateful for Mark's sobriety. He says it is hard for him to always put on a front of how good he is doing and he is starting to really feel his emotions. I guess in many ways it is hard for me to put on a front as well. I have a lot on my plate to deal with as well. So if I am a little lazy these days I forgive myself and let it be OK. I am functioning and my family is much better than they were a year ago. There is hope and a future. I pray the financial situation straightens out soon as it is a constant worry and strain to me. We live in an amazing town with a beautiful beach. In the summer we have access to a town pool, town golf course, and wonderful summer programs for the kids.. Because of our financial situation our town helps take care of us. We have been given free beach and pool passes for the summer and our son has been enrolled in camp, tennis, basketball and baseball clinics, and golf lessons courtesy of the town. That is amazing to me and I dream of one day giving a huge donation back to this town to thank them for all hey have done to help make our life better and to help the town help others in the same way. I pray that this dream can become a reality.

My husband just returned from visiting an AA friend and shared with me a very funny story: A 10 year old child of a recovering alcoholic was in the post office with his mom and saw a wanted poster. The child remarked "mommy if they wanted that person so badly why didn't they arrest him when they took his picture?" Great question. Mark said this story was used as an analogy for him in recovery...Recovering alcoholics are the people in the wanted posters they are wanted by their disease of alcoholism. The analogy is like that of a fugitive on the run. For their entire lives in recovery they will always be on the run from their disease of alcoholism-and alcohol will be trying to arrest them every chance it gets..Cunning, baffling, and powerful.

Not easy to live with a recovering addict and not easy to understand what they are going through. I am glad that Mark appreciates me and acknowledges more and more each day how lucky he is that I have stood by him.

OK time to run..the beach awaits and we are going as a family...All of us sober and all of us to have fun.

Hunter.

Hunter

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