It is a room filled to the brim with dark shadows and with windowless screened in corners. Once the housekeeping is done the chair presents a theme that is readily and handily endorsed, the topic for tonight is Faith, let us begin as the incandescent lights are dimmed and all the wicks have previously been lit. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king, for the rest have learned to live in the dark. The door is shut less than ajar as the dull roar is reduced down to a flicker. The leader blazes the trail with his poignant share and encourages everyone to stay on topic, or as the best that you can bluster, unless you must say something other.
A Quaker format is introduced, pray tell, a creative lark or something overheard on MTV? When you are moved by the spirit, was the reply. The spirit seems to move with unprecedented speed for the meek the mild , and for the terminally shy when absent from the light and not on the spot from the scrutiny and the glare of high beam prying eyes.
Obscured in the dim twilight a fellow who I strained to perceive appeared to have a small, unobtrusive, and meek stature in the diffusion of shadow and light he began to speak, his name was Rusty.
Rusty, as being worn down by humidity and hot air, he was in the right place, as Houston is known for the abundance of both of these commodities. Rusty spoke of trials that seem to never end, cancers and loss of loved ones and friends. There was the loss of wealth and being reduced to survival by the kindness of strangers, borrowed cars that were constantly breaking down and bus fare passes. Insult often times accompany injury as he related recently falling off a ladder with a chain saw fully engaged and spraining his ankle as the only rub. He was grateful for the sprain and dismissed the pain for easy enough it could have been a loss of a limb just the same. His share was full of gratitude and acceptance. All I could hear was the faith of Job, his countenance out shined the dark as his words lit up the gloom. A good beginning often agrees with a good end and the proceeding shares were spiritually enlivened with passion and aplomb. I agreed to join in with the question as much as a statement “is in a Quaker meeting you share when you’re feeling your oats? I told a thoughtful joke about the loch ness monster and the atheist, and we all had a good laugh.
Humor is a spark that often times ignites the mind that was heretofore behind closed doors.
The meeting ended on a spiritual note with our customary benediction in the form of a prayer. As is our custom we file out side into the night for our meeting after the meeting. It’s a younger group with a cigarette addiction, the task at hand is be engaged while remaining upwind. The night was balmy and still so I retreated to the very back as it was the furthest from the front. I spotted a loner there under the not so poplar trees and attempted to engaged in the common familiarity of recovery speak. A fellow then quietly appeared from out of the shadows, and politely inquired “I need a jump, I have the battery cables can either of you help Oh brother, It could cause me harm, and change my cars polarity, and of course there is always the chance of blowing up. I read it somewhere I think it might have been in popular theatrics, and lastly have come to the agreement that no good deed goes unpunished, as these were my first and passing thoughts, I agreed to help. We quickly lined up and I took charge, as this rodeo had been played out many times in my tenure. The sequence of positive and negative connections to insure the maximum flow of electrons through a wire, I cranked it up and suggested let it eat it’s needed energy just for a minute or two, in order to insure maximum success for the attempted ignition. During the lull I offered the fellow a RumRadio.org Big Book sponsorship website business card. I introduced myself, he said I know I heard you share, he said I am Rusty, the first share. He then confided in me that he said most of the men he sponsors maintain long term sobriety. Viola a kindred soul for I have the same experience. He went and told me that the car we were resurrecting was a loner, he was grateful for it needed some work but was glad to have it. It came to me what was going on, Rusty was being of maximum service and was being put upon, I explained as his trials and tribulations had to do with a spiritual war fare that he was in the front lines saving lives and that God held this man in the palm of his hand and his acceptance and gratitude would see him through, and this was all for his growth. We soon parted as his beast was belching fire and smoke as it rolled back on to the street. I saw Rusty last night at pp g and we chatted this time in the light. I told him I was going to tell this tale and he assured me he would now most certainly go to the website, I hope me and Rusty become friends, for I have a lot to learn from him.
See you on the radio
RumRadio.org
Joseph
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