Blog entry for:

with some stunning insight, making me wonder . . .
the whole trip about having and being a sponsor, has got me thinking this morning. currently there is a member in the rooms who seems to have got the notion in his head that the group should coerce newcomers into a sponsorship relationship by holding them hostage until the concede and acquiesce. lately, since the groups have ignored him in this instance, he now collects phone numbers so he can become a sponsor dating service, matching up those who cannot ask with those who may be willing to sponsor. while his idea has roots elsewhere and is being put forward with only the best motives and intentions, he is clueless as to what the whole act of asking for sponsorship really is. honestly, had i been waylaid in such a manner or given a name and number from an impersonal list, way back when, i would have bolted and never went back to that meeting, perhaps never would have given myself the opportunity to embark on a program of recovery. at that time there was more than enough coercion in my life, adding the additional pressure of starting another relationship would have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. i NEVER offer myself up as a sponsor, but only rarely do i say no. part of being willing to go to any lengths is taking the chance to ask someone to sponsor me and be able to accept that answer, no matter what.
for me, and speaking only for myself, getting to a spot where i was ready to ask for help, especially help from another man, was the first turning point in my recovery journey. building a relationship based on trust and respect is not something that comes easy for me, and based on the information i have gathered over the days i have been clean, i am not unique in that particular aspect of my personality. my sponsor and the men i sponsor, have become a very important part of my life, right up there with my relationship with the POWER that fuels my recovery and my relationship with my significant other. i am grateful for their presence in my life and work on continuing to build those relationships today.

∞ DT ∞