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       #Post#: 8--------------------------------------------------
       Share From Dave W
   DIR By: chairperson
       Date: March 23, 2019, 10:04 pm
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       Dave shares...
       Man, this morning was horrible. I mean HORRIBLE! I would have
       killed for a smoke. I certainly would have traded one of my
       children for a pack of ciga-rettes and a lighter. My youngest,
       to be exact. Our baby is now 21, but back at home. Works at a
       job for a while, then quits. Usually just fails to show up for
       work one day because he was partying all night with his trashy
       friends.
       A few weeks ago he got a great job and has been doing really
       well with it. Peace and serenity once again reigned in my home.
       Then, Friday, he got a huge paycheck and, guess what, partied
       all night and failed to show up for work on Saturday.
       My wife has been a mess since then. So have I, but she takes her
       stress, anger and frustration out on me. It's under-standable,
       since our son has not been home and she had to vent with
       some-body, but...
       Anyhow, this morning, it was just intolerable. I'm worried,
       angry and scared. She's worried, angry and scared and taking it
       out on me.
       All I wanted was my cigarettes and my lighter! All I wanted was
       a smoke! Or...did I want a cigarette? Or did I want my wife to
       stop taking her anger and frustration out on me? Did I want a
       cigarette or did I want my son to keep his job?
       What were the things that I could not change? The things I could
       change? I might be able to change my wife's behavior and my
       son's behavior, if I spoke with them about how I felt.
       So I did. I spoke to my son about the need for him to keep his
       job, because I cannot afford his upkeep. I spoke to my wife
       about how it hurt me when she took out her pain and anger on me,
       because I was hurt and angry, too. I did what I could do, but
       only after I asked my HP to give me the courage to do what I
       needed to do.
       I then asked for and received the serenity to accept what I
       cannot change. It may be that neither my wife nor my son change
       their behavior, but I have done what I can do.
       Thank you, HP, for the Serenity Prayer, which not only teaches
       me to accept cravings, it also teaches me that what I think is a
       craving is, usually, an emotional reaction to a problem.
       You see, the truth is that I did not have any cravings this
       morning, at all. I had problems that I wanted to hide from,
       be-hind my old friend, the smoke-screen. But, instead, thanks to
       this program, I confronted my problems with the help of my HP.
       If I had smoked this morning, I would be sitting here, right
       now, wanting another cigarette. Instead, because I confronted my
       problems, I am sitting here, right now, at peace with myself and
       the world. Serene. It works, if you work it. Dave W.
       Seven Minutes 2005
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