Breaking The Rules

Author’s Note: These prompts are my attempt at working on writing fiction. I may not always follow the cards exactly, but it is me writing fiction. I am a woman in long term recovery and have been working on myself since 1978. I grew up in a family steeped in alcoholism. This story is fiction combined with some truth.

Standard Procedures — Cards against normality prompt: What if this happened all the time? Is your hero writing the rules or breaking them?

Write a checklist of rules and procedures for this situation. Now look for ways they can become obstacles for your hero.

Make a list of skills from your hero's ordinary life. How could they be adapted to fit this challenge?

Research how this situation for place, or job is handled in the real world. Who is in charge? Look for protocols and gatekeepers.

Highland 2

Suggestions only... however, it is important to follow them if you want what we have, said my recovery sponsor! They are not exactly like this but they go something like this she said:

"Step one - Admit powerlessness over addiction, and that life is unmanageable."

"Step two - Believe in a power greater than you can restore sanity."

"Step three - Made a decision to turn my will and life over to said power."

"Step four - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."

"Let's start here!" she said.

What if I break them rules? Verna said, "We all do, and then we learn, and go again. The most important one is the first one." Are we expected to admit these rules in the real world? "You don't need to talk about them with anyone except me, your sponsor. Others will notice the changes in you."

Does powerless over addiction mean alcohol, drugs, food, gambling, sex, work, other people, shopping, spending? "Yes. But in our case we focus on what is giving you the most trouble right now. We work these steps and practice these principles in all of our affairs."

Affairs? Like relationship affairs? "I think it means with everything and everyone I am involved in. So, for some it may mean relationship affairs. We will start with one. And that could take a short time or a really long time."

"In the meantime, can you stick to coming to meet with me every week to review what you worked on this week? And how about attending a support group every day. And let's see, how about for 90 days?" What? Excuse me? How do I do that?

"Well, you haven't been to treatment, right? You want to get this the first time, right? You want what we have, right? Do you want happy, joyous and free? Do you want what is promised? Like we won't regret the past or wish to close the doors on it, how about fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us?"

Okay, I'll do it. "Well, start by going early to those support meetings and staying late to talk to the newcomers." I think I'm a newcomer! "You are but believe me it will really help you! It helped me." So, do you still do this? "Well, sometimes, but I don't wish to take the jobs aways from you and others."

As I was walking away, I realized that everything I was being asked to do to follow the rules were rules for me. That after a while I wouldn't need to follow these rules. Just like my sponsor isn't doing those things anymore. I even heard her call me a pigeon, when she was on the phone with a friend.

A pigeon! I suppose that really is what I am and how others see me. Is this all going to be worth it? I guess, I will give it a try and then I will see what rules my sponsor follows. She did say something about the traditions that are so important for keeping this program working.