"Living in the solution"
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We have been listening to a conversations between "Newbie", a Compulsive Overeater new to the rooms of OA, and their "Sponsor". In these conversations, "Newbie" worked the OA steps and found recovery one day at a time. We now go forward in time a couple of years - the scene is an OA meeting room, and "Newbie" is just opening up and putting out the chairs, when someone oddly familiar enters the room...... |
"Newbie":
Hello, welcome to OA are you new here? - Oh!!! My Friend!!! It’s you!!! SO good to see you again!!!!
"Sponsor":
And you my friend!!! Let me look at you - wow!!! you look years younger than when we last met:)
"Newbie":
Thank you:) And how are you doing? I don’t seem to have heard from you for ages.
"Sponsor":
Yes, well, you may know I left the rooms and then had a relapse.
"Newbie":
I did gather that, yes, but since I didn’t seem to be able to contact you, I didn’t know for sure.
"Sponsor":
Thank you for putting it so nicely:) Yes I was ignoring your calls, and not calling you back, and I need to apologise to you for that.
"Newbie":
Apology accepted dear one - I knew you were in a bad place, and I talked it through with my new Sponsor. Here - will you help me arrange the chairs and put out the literature?
"Sponsor":
I would be honoured to, thank you for asking:)
"Newbie":
Well, you taught me the worth of service, and putting out chairs is one thing I’ve got pretty good at:)
"Sponsor":
Oh! You have a Big Book for sale! I think I need to buy a new one, as I do not know where my old one is:(
"Newbie":
That would be a great idea:) - Oh look, the others are coming now - maybe we could talk more after the meeting?
"Sponsor":
Yes, I’d like that:)
<later>
"Newbie":
Well, that was a great meeting I thought:) Thank you for sharing, it was good to hear your story again.
"Sponsor":
Oh! It was really good to be back with other OA’ers. To hear the readings, and identify with the stories. You know, it was when I stopped listening - really listening - that my relapse really started. I thought I had all the answers I guess - I even thought that I was cured. Only thing is after I left the rooms, and cut off all my ties to my Sponsor and other OA people, I found I was still powerless over food. And I’m sure you can see how much weight I’ve put back on.
"Newbie":
To be honest, when you first came in the room, what I noticed most was that your eyes had lost that sparkle that they used to have. You looked sad and withdrawn, and that is why it took me a moment to recognise you - yes, the weight is there too, but I think of weight as the physical manifestation of our spiritual malady. And some of us Compulsive eaters do not put on the weight - the anorexic’s and bulimic’s among us in particular.
"Sponsor":
Yes, if only I’d remembered that when my head thought I was cured! And I am so glad to see you here - and I see that you are living in the solution, doing service, sharing at meetings, and you mentioned doing your step 10 each day with your Sponsor. I want that back my friend - in fact - I wondered if I could ask you something?
"Newbie":
Of course! ask away!
"Sponsor":
Well, I do want my recovery back, and I see it shining out of you in so many ways - would you consider sponsoring me?
"Newbie":
Are you willing to work the steps with me, and to follow a path of rigorous honesty?
"Sponsor":
I am willing to go to any lengths for recovery
"Newbie":
Then I would be honoured to be your loving witness for as long as it is helping both of our recoveries:) Here - let me give you a hug!!! Welcome back to Overeaters Anonymous - Welcome back Home:)
(not so must "the end", but another beginning)