Walk a Mile in My Shoes.

I love the diversity of The Program.  I have learned so much over the years because I've made friends from all walks of life.  The Book says "we are people who would not ordinarily mix."  It compares our Fellowship to the different kinds of people in a lifeboat leaving a stricken ocean liner.  A tremendous sense of camaraderie exists despite differences of class, money and education, born of the knowledge that everyone has escaped a terrible fate.


That being said I'm also glad that there are people around whose story line is similar to mine.  It's great being able to talk over a specific problem with someone who may have experience with that specific situation.  And sometimes my problems are not of the low-bottom variety --  OK, they're almost never of the low-bottom variety -- at which point it's nice to be able to talk with someone who is in similar circumstances.  That doesn't mean I can only be helped by specific drunks, just that it's comforting to talk to someone who has walked a mile in your shoes. 


For instance, if a member is having trouble with a child it would hardly be compassionate for someone with no kids to say: "Well, you should just be grateful that you're a parent."  While we should be grateful for what we have that doesn't mean it's not upsetting when a difficult situation arises.