Rick Time

My name is Rick and I’m a REAL alcoholic. They say God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, but today was a real test! It started when I woke up this morning. I felt “off”, almost as if I was out drinking all night - you know the feeling. To make matters worse, I had no connection with my higher power whatsoever and I was really friggin tired!

I had to work a full shift at Applebee’s and I hated the thought of being on my feet for 8 hours. As I showered I remembered something my sponsor said to me:

 
“Rick, you need to put your recovery first. In fact, anything you put ahead of your recovery you’ll lose - it’s that simple.”

Not wanting to lose my job, and definitely not wanting to risk a relapse, I decided that it was time for some “Rick time” - a mental health holiday. I planned on sleeping several more hours, hitting a meeting, checking out Starbucks, and working on my spiritual connection.

This didn’t go over too well with my boss Glenn.  He said that I didn’t have to come in today because I was fired and that he was tired of all of us drunks and druggies calling out sick all the time. I immediately recognized that his outburst was his shit and I needed to concentrate on keeping my side of the street clean, which I did. I even prayed for him.  I prayed that he would find peace and serenity, just as the book suggests. I was bummed about the job but wasn’t about to let this ruin my day.

I woke up in time for the 5:30 meeting at the Enclave Club. I got a half mile from my apartment when I noticed that my bike was riding funny, and sure enough I got a flat and of course it was the back tire! Enough was enough. I decided that it was time to call it a day. It seemed that my best bet was to stay in bed. TIME (Tomorrow Is Meditation Experience) - and that’s exactly where I went.

I woke up at 8:00 p.m. and realized that I needed to go to a meeting. Before heading out tonight I called my sponsor and told him how my day went. Between talking with my sponsor and sitting in this meeting I am starting to feel connected.

I really am taking care of me, which is a foreign concept for this alcoholic. You see, I am the type of alcoholic who will make sure everyone’s needs are met but mine. Well that needs to change! I guess I want to say that I am grateful for another day of sobriety and I’ll friggin’ keep coming back.