We had a three day retreat on addictions. It was mainly about Alcohol. It is amazing how drugs and alcohol can over power a person and make them completely and totally dependent. Addiction often happens when there is something missing and trying to fill a void in ones life. It makes the user feel better for a little bit to get that high but then they come down and then they have to get that high again and pretty soon they become totally dependent on it. We watched the movie " hello my name is Bill W" and we watched " Love is not enough" and it is the story about Bill W's wife. Bill Wilson is the founder of AA. It is amazing what his wife put up with. The faith she had in him was incredible. I thought she was more impressive than Bill. She knew there was something inside him that was able to defeat this. There was a scene in the movie and he is holding on to the bottle of vodka and he says, "I don't want to drink this. I love you Lois, but I need this. I don't want to drink this but I love Alcohol. " He was absolutely powerless to it. Incredible. We also heard stories of drugs just destroying lives. We live in such an addictive society. Internet and social media are at the tips of our finger tips. There are a ton of internet addictions from porn, to surfing the internet and constantly clicking on things, to social media, to online gaming. Ones reality becomes the internet. There fantasy becomes there reality. How sad is that. Kids put so much time and effort into it. The bullying online is a real problem. Kids have committed suicide just by what others have written about them on the internet. There is no filter. People just write with out thinking. Dangerous.
It really gave me appreciation to the 12 step program. I like step two that I am powerless and I need to rely on a greater power than myself. The 12 step program is really a deep examination of ones conscious . Another quote that caught my attention was " don't say I am sorry. Say that I am wrong".
It made me have a real awareness in everything I do. Pay attention to your feelings and what is going on in your life. It is easy to get addicted to anything.
The weather is Finally warming up. I think spring is finally here.
I w as upset with myself the other day because i was at a stop light and There was a homeless man asking for money. I usually keep a box of granola bars in my car and hand them out. But I was out of granola bars. I thought I only had a 20 in my wallet so i didn't want to give him that. SO I ignored him outside my window. OF course what does Jesus say, "Who are my brothers and sisters?" so I felt guilty when I drove off. Then when I looked in my wallet I had two single dollar bills in there. Pope Francis says "Who am I to judge?"
Other than that I am currently trying to shake a cold.
On Saturday we are heading to Casa maria to volunteer for a bit and check out that ministry. It sure seems like the root of all problems in the world is poverty. The trafficking of humans for labor or sex generally happens to people who are willing to do anything to get money or bring money home for the family. Or they live in a poverish area and the family is willing to sell a child for money or are stolen away and no one notices because there in a poor area with no law or authority. I was reading a statistic that 2 million women and children are unaccounted for in the world. How does that even happen? People taking advantage of others. Exploitation of humans. There seems to be so many problems in the world it can be overwhelming . I guess it starts with education. Telling people have an awareness in the community. Hopefully media helps spread awareness. Then I think it is finding organizations and being in collaboration. But then where do yo go from there?
Plenty to think about. How can you help your fellow humans in everything you do. I guess it starts with doing the small things in life. Kind, courtesy and just being present. Just showing up in everything you do.
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