Like I have probably written a bunch of times already, I did a fair amount of my initial meetings at the Fremont-Greenwood Fellowship. Commonly known as "The Zoo". There was a guy I used to see there. He had long black hair, rode a black Harley, looked kinda' badass; the first time you heard him talk... he'd catch your attention.
He spoke a mile a minute, and had this litany of witticisms that would get put into what he was saying. But one of the other things he commonly said was about the mortal gravity of addiction. It was something that, as I worked the first step, I began to understand and believe about myself. Eventually, I co-opted his phrase: "...for me, to drink or to drug is to fucking die!"
(this actually came out as "...to fuuucking dieeeeee!!!")
I would run into this guy at meetings all the time. When I went to the District AA picnic at Vasa Park, I saw him there. I remember driving down the street one day, and seeing him out on the side of the road working to remove a broken bolt from the engine case of his bike (I think it was probably a Shovel, but I digress).
This guy, and his sayings, have stuck in my mind for over twenty years. I saw him a couple years ago; hadn't seen him in almost two decades, but recognized him instantly.
I like to advise all my friends who are new to the program to get some meetings you regularly attend. Get to know some folks in the fellowship. You'll be amazed where and when you'll run into 'em.
And, you'll build some good memories.
-M
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