Look Out For the Locomotive

It has taken me years of practice to learn how to enter the family arena or the political arena and stay connected with my deepest compassion.  None of us can avoid tyranny, loss, sorrow, or death.  I must remember that the world's current problems are fundamentally a spiritual crisis, created by the limited vision of human beings - a loss of a sense of connection to one another, a loss of community, and most deeply a loss of connection to my spiritual values.  Underneath this I must find a strength of heart to face injustice and untruth with truth and compassion.

"Step Six is necessary to spiritual growth.  Placing spiritual growth first . . .  But when we are willing to place spiritual growth first - then and only then do we have a real chance.  But with the alcoholic, whose hope is with the growth and maintenance of a spiritual existence . . . "

Various passages from the Big Book and the 12&12

I have been holding conversations in my head with Hot Tub Guy.  One of my main realizations is that he is living in an echo chamber where he listens to information that validates what he already believes.  Some of this tendency is common to the human experience - God knows I don't want to hang out in a room of people who hold values and opinions that directly contradict my own.  Still, today, it gives me pause when I feel my spine stiffen at the suggestion that what I believe may not be all that great, that it may run counter to what I believe is true.  Remember sitting in your first few Alcoholics Anonymous meetings?  I had spent years associating with people who drank and drugged like I did, people who had convinced themselves that there was nothing wrong to see here.  Did I think some dude stoned into next Tuesday, pulling on a quart of Colt 45 at three in the morning on a weekday, was going to point out any fallacious reasoning in my world view?

"How persistently we claim the right to decide all by ourselves just what we shall think and just how we shall act."

12&12

So, today, listening when others share can develop intuition in handling problems which arise unexpectedly.  I know I must avoid impetuous action.  I was driving through some small rural town, looking for a factory, when there was this sign posted as I approached a set of railroad tracks: "Look out for the locomotive!"

Look out for the locomotive, indeed.

Remember . . . that the light you see at the end of the tunnel may be the locomotive coming the other way.

And, also remember, it's always darkest right before it goes totally black.

Words to live by.