Boom! Goes the Land Mine

Today The Best Share of the Day Award went to this dude I've known since he got sober three years ago.  He has been a source of frustration for me during this time because he doesn't Do It Right.  He does it, of course, almost identically to the way I did it when I was getting sober; namely, in his own time frame and after his own fashion.

Anyway, it has become apparent that he made some kind of psychic breakthrough or series of spiritual advances recently.  With some of us it's incredibly transparent - we look different, we carry ourselves differently, with more care and consideration and perspective.  Previously my buddy was well protected by a thicket of land mines.  He was able to find something objectionable in everything I said, something that would trigger a defensive posture, an argument.  I'd say something that I thought was pretty benign and Boom!  a land mine would detonate.  It was a ton of work to talk to him.  I had to carefully parse everything I said for any residue of potential offense that he could find objectionable.  It was exhausting, frankly.

He was in our kitchen looking through a serving window into the meeting hall when he felt this strong surge of peace.  He said he wanted to reach through the window and give the meeting secretary a big hug, thank him for his service.  I know that feeling.  Most of the time my Type A, anxious, competitive, perfectionist personality is driving me to find fault, anticipate problems, focus on challenges, and not to see blessings.  Sometimes I wake up and just sit there and glow.  I try to enjoy these moments.  Most of my moments should be these moments and not the rare exception.

A few days ago I left for the meeting when it was still dark out.  I turned my car around and was face to face with this huge yellow full moon sitting right on top of the horizon.  I stopped my car and looked at it for a few minutes.  It was . . . spectacular.  I would never never have seen this before.  I would have been deep inside my own mind, arguing with someone who wasn't there.