Gates of Insanity

To Wear The World Like A Loose Garment is such a great expression.  We've kicked around the idea that you can/should wear just about everything like a loose garment: work, marriage, A.A., your neighborhood.  You have a garment on but it shouldn't be too tight.  The leader of our meeting this morning was a long-timer who is hobbled by a recently fractured ankle.  She's not thrilled about this but she's keeping on keeping on.  I love this about long-timers - an almost universal ability to keep perspective on things.  I'm not happy that I suffered a Posterior Vitreous Detachment - my vision isn't impaired, it's affected - but I'm making do.  Balance.  Perspective.

The Daily Meditation referenced a scene from Zorba the Greek where Zorba and his grandfather discussed whether you should live your life like there's no tomorrow or whether you should exhibit the patience to take the long view of life.  Do you plant a tree that you'll never see bear fruit?  Is the benefit in the planting of the tree or eating the fruit?  The long-timers saw the beauty in both sides of the equation.

"Everybody irritates the crap out of me."  That was a comment in the meeting.  (Ed. Note: Fair Disclosure: I said that.  It was me.)

Astonish:  To surprise greatly; astound; flabbergast.

"Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol.  The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false.  . . . their problems pile up on them and become astonishingly difficult to solve.  The idea that somehow, someday he will control and enjoy his drinking is the great obsession of every abnormal drinker.  The persistence of this illusion is astonishing.  Many pursue it into the gates of insanity or death."  Big Book of A.A.

Gates of Insanity would be an excellent name for a hard rock band.