PoM 263

Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m not so much a material guy.

But there are exceptions: My most precious possession, is my glasses.

I keep them on a high shelf, the only place that Gummy can’t get to.

Somehow he got through there today and mangled them.

I actually burst into tears.

When Gandhi died he only had six possessions…but one of them was his pair of glasses.

PoM 264

In today’s meeting it was mentioned that the two great geniuses of Rock’n’Roll were Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix.

Just as in psychotherapy the two great geniuses were Sigmund Freud and Abraham Maslow.

In both cases, the men could not possibly have been more different.

Elvis was a social phenomenon. Hendrix was instrumental genius.

Sigmund Freud was negative, fearful and a brilliant diagnostician, whereas Abraham Maslow was intuitive and brought hope to the whole human race.

It is interesting to note that it was a woman that brought us Elvis and a woman that brought us Jimi Hendrix.

Marion Keisker discovered Elvis, not Sam Phillips.

Linda Keith discovered Hendrix, not Chas Chandler.

They say that behind every great man is a woman…rolling her eyes.

PoM 265

I watched a film tonight that always reminds me of my first love.

I always feel sad at the end because it postulates about…what might’ve happened.

I only remember the first year and a half, at first tender and innocent, then tender and passionate.

But, as a love addict, what I don’t remember is that 3 years later, 16 years later and 40 years later, we would meet again; again have those tender feelings, but then she would use my having those feelings to manipulate whoever she was currently with, to get what she wanted.

Her mother, who died ignominiously, and who she idealized, was that way with her alcoholic father, I suspect.

We were both ACA’s…major ACA’s, and were clueless about how to have healthy relationships.

God have mercy on us all…and help me remember everything and not just have “euphoric recall”.

PoM 266

I talked at length with one of my sponsees about expanding the definition of recovery to include exercise.

Initially reluctant, he began to clearly see this is as fundamental physical need like air, water, food, and sleep.

My hope is that PrayerCall will pick up where the excellent work of OA and FA left off.

PoM 267

I talked to the Administrative Director of All Addictions Anonymous today, while I was running.

We talked about how they financed the book publishing division of their fellowship.

There was an interesting and unique feel to the conversation.

It wasn’t about Steps, or God, or feelings.

It was about the practical reality how you bring God’s word into being, for other people, and how you distribute it.

Real nuts and bolts stuff like, “How large does an order need to be to get particular volume discounts for publishing books and pamphlets.

Sensitive topics like, after 60 years of being in existence, they decided to put a Donate button on the homepage of their website, like FA does.

That’s touchy stuff, because people can get incensed, or began to not trust you, if they sense that you’re doing this for the money.

He told me a story about Tom P. that made us both laugh: Tom spoke to many AA groups in his life and always for free…but he always insisted that they fly him First Class.

I guess everyone sorta wants to be Elvis…

PoM 268

“No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally different from his fellows.”
Big Book

My brain tells me that I need something to eat, when what I really need to do is move my body.

How do I know that?

When I respond to my spurious internal hunger signal with a set of push-ups or yoga…I feel completely satisfied.

I believe that it is because I am misinterpreting information.

It is true that my body is saying I need some attention, but my brain is saying that that attention is food…

I am mentally different from my fellows…but I can reprogram my brain, if I am able to be fully honest with myself.