I hope all is going well for you and Pax! I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to respond to my e-mails over the last month or so. Your book has opened doors, door's that have been opened and explored by many yet those individuals who believed as you do found it difficult stand on firm ground because of opposing views. I was one of those people who had a drinking problem in my early twenties and sought help at 24, have been sober ever since and am now 32. AA I can honestly say set a great foundation for my recovery, however, after sometime (5 years going to meetings every week, working the steps, you name it) I began to feel like I was trapped in the AA bubble, and it was like a marry-go-round of up's and downs, always feeling like you had to do more and if you stopped, you would ultimately fail, was many people's beliefs. I have found through trial and error on my own, that those beliefs just made me feel worse than I needed to feel, I would stop going to meetings for awhile, and actually felt better, more stable and on an even keel. AA can create a sense of urgency that is just not always necessary, especially after someone has achieved years of abstinence! I have grown inside and outside of the program, and now continue to grow into my own man, with my own set of spiritual tools and values that I believe everyone contains, some just explore them in more depth than others, there is no right or wrong! I just want to live my life as full as I can without feeling like I am doing something wrong, or that somehow something will sneak up on me as AA instills in it's members if they move on from it, so NOT the truth!!!
Anyway, I have decided to pursue a new career path in healthcare and am currently taking classes. I feel like I want to devote my life to helping others in one realm or another. I have been in sales and Real Estate for the last 9 years and want a change! I hope that you all continue your good work down there, god bless you and please feel free to ask any candid questions to me about AA, as someone who can see both the good and not so good sides of the program, I may be of help to you guys!
