Funny How It Works Out

I called up my Old City sponsor yesterday.  He was clearly sick and he didn't want to talk.  He always wants to talk so I knew he was really sick.  I called up today and he sounded a lot better. I think he was glad I called back.  I was checking up on him because he's not a young guy and he sounded pretty bad yesterday.  I sent a note to Little Westside Jonny, asking him to check in as well.  He's like two thousand five hundred miles closer to my sponsor than I am.  It's kind of what we do in The Fellowship - we take care of ourselves and we take care of each other.

It made me think of the difference in the relationship I have with my sponsor and with my own father.  I love 'em both but one of them has a whole hell of a lot of a better idea who I am than the other.  I think of the difference in attitude between the two guys and the sense of responsibility each takes for their part in the world.  My sponsor takes responsibility for his own actions while realizing that he needs help from time to time.  My dad does neither very often.

I'm very much like my father and not at all like my sponsor.  When I first started working with him we quickly found out that we disagreed completely on almost all levels whenever the topics of religion, politics, morality, or sociology came up.  We found out that these were areas best left alone and we developed a deep and effective relationship.  I'm much more engaged with my sponsor than with my father - some of this is my fault but it's mostly because one wants to be engaged with and one doesn't.  I'm not always behaving badly.

Just most of the time.