replace fear with faith

Walked past Kings Cross, the book of remeberence was open for the victims & their families of the bombs. I put some words in, as I left & walked down the tube, playing over in my head. God grant me the Serenity to Accept the Things I cannot Change, the Courange to Change the Things I can and The Wisdom to Know the Difference.

Team leaders not gonna make it for phone service, can i (9 months experience at phone office) stand in..err, help, bugger. First thought is fuck it, cant someone else, I am not a manager. 2nd thought, well give it ago, someone will show me, turn up, give it ago. Fuck it.

As it was just two of us turned up, but we managed it, had a cool evening, even managed to make a good first attempt at the crossword (inspite of us both believing we would struggle to get any words longer than 4 letters) With the help of Collins English Dictionary, Roget & a few AA texts, we made good progress & suprised ourselves. We have no idea what people are going to say when we answer the phone. At times it is in your face Alcoholism, this is a killer illness that will tell people for years they havent got it. In the fellowship, on the programme, we really are the lucky ones, we have a chance. In between the calls, we have to remember aswell "Rule 42# Not to take ourselves too damn seriously" hence the crossword.

At the convention this year, the Phone office did a sketch, which showed what happened when a Responder tries to pass on a 12 step call (a first time caller to AA wanting to chat over the phone with an AA & then possibly go to a meeting with them) after many attempts the Responder finally got someone to take the call. People were not in, too busy, not in a good space themselves, dont do that 12 stepping anymore etc etc. etc.

But what hit home to me was when "John" asked the question "where might we all be if Bill W standing in that hotel lobby, had given up at the 9th telephone call & not made the 10th which got him in contact with Dr Bob, where would we all be now... if he had gone in that hotel bar instead?"

Your phone office may need volunteers, phone service, at home taking the responder calls, 12 stepping...