Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: BORED - Begins 1-11-18 / Ends 1-18-18 (01/11/18)
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TITLE: Kevin's Question | Previous Challenge Entry
By LeslieJean Anderson
01/18/18 -
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“Kevin. How long is this thing?” The disheveled youth replied, hands stuffed in his pockets.
“One hour. Don’t fall asleep. You don’t want to miss anything.”
Kevin snorted and plopped down on a chair, trying not to make eye contact.
Of all the sentencing nightmares, this one was the worst. 500 hours of AA meetings and 100 hours of community service. Talk about boring. Sobriety itself was boring enough – but sober people were total snoozers.
Kevin glanced around the room as it filled up. People of all ages – except his - were entering the basement of the church, smiling and calling each other by their first names.
Ancient geezers and lots of losers, he thought to himself. Couldn’t handle their booze. What a pity.
He glanced at the literature he’d been given. He remembered it said somewhere that there are no former alcoholics. Just recovering ones.
Well, he didn’t intend to be one of those. He could handle his alcohol. He just needed to learn how to outsmart the cops.
Stan rapped a spoon on his coffee cup, and the chatter died down.
“Welcome to the Eastside Step Study Group...”
Just then the door opened, and a teenaged girl entered with her mother. Kevin blinked as he recognized her.
“Come on in, Amanda. Hi Mary. We’re just getting started,” said Stan. The chairs made scooting sounds as space was made at the table.
Kevin sat frozen in his. Amanda was in his high school class. He couldn’t lie to this group about what had happened because the whole school knew. He was trapped. He felt his chest begin to burn with anxiety.
Stan was talking again, then began reading from a plastic-covered sheet: “Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship… The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking… Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”
Sobriety again, thought Kevin. Ugh.
Another plastic-covered sheet was making itself around the table. Folks were reading from it. It came to him, and his neighbor whispered, “Read Step 10.”
“Umm… Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it,” Kevin mumbled and quickly passed the sheet.
Something else was read that had to do with recovery and honesty, and then the old man said, “We have someone here who has earned a 3-month chip. Come on up, Bud.” Everyone applauded as Stan hugged Bud.
Then Bud said, “One day at a time, folks! It works when you work it.”
“We also have a beginner here tonight,” said Stan. “Let’s do Step 1. Tell us what it was like, what happened, and what it is like now. Charlie – would you start?”
Charlie was Kevin’s neighbor.
Good, Kevin thought. I’ll be last. Maybe we’ll run out of time. I just have to get the old man to put his signature on the Judge’s paper. I don’t have to even listen.
“Hi everyone. I’m Charlie and I’m a grateful recovering alcoholic...”
Who is stupid enough to say they are an alcoholic and be grateful about it? Kevin thought.
But he couldn’t help but listen. Charlie had a compelling story. Everyone else did too.
When it came to Amanda, she passed, but her mother told their story. Amanda had staged an intervention, and her mother claimed that it had saved her life.
Then it was Kevin’s turn. He thought about passing, but then he remembered the Judge’s paper.
“Hello. I’m Kevin. Your stories are awesome, but I’m not...” he looked at Amanda and gulped. Her eyes bored into his. “I mean... I guess I messed up. At least the Judge said so. Or I wouldn’t be here.”
Kevin sighed. The brutal honesty in the room made it impossible to lie. “Everyone in my family drinks. Always has. Nobody gets in trouble. I can’t understand what happened to me. After my first two beers, I wrecked my Dad’s car. Don’t I just need to learn how to control it?”
He looked around. He saw heads nodding and Amanda smiling.
Stan grinned said quietly, “Keep coming back, Kevin. I promise you will find an answer to your question in these rooms.”
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Well done,
Blessings~