 The Promises
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THE SECOND PROMISE
With the working of the 4th step, I inventoried all my bad times and
with the aid of the 5th step I got rid of all the horrible things I had
done in the past.
The 8th and 9th Steps let me take care of all the people I had harmed.
This allows me to look at my past without guilt and shame. I must
remember not to shut the door on my past as I could slip back into my
old ways of thinking and acting. It's great to be able to look at just
today and enjoy.
"WE WILL COMPREHEND THE WORD SERENITY AND WE
WILL KNOW PEACE."
Life in A.A. was so difficult at first. I was happy to be sober but
found self-examination very painful. To find out ":Wonder Woman"
actually had faults was a real bummer. It was the first time in my life
that I had admitted being wrong about anything, nevermind sharing my
shortcomings with others.
I had no desire to discuss my Higher Power at meetings. I had been
blaming God for a long time for a lot of things. It's amazing how that
got me off the hook many, many times.
But I did listen to all you smart people. The longer i"m in A.A., the
smarter yall all get. At first the words serenity and peace sounded like
a big bore to me, but gradually through prayer and meditation I have
found some serenity and peace in my life. And surprise! - it is not a
bore. I is marvelous. When I think of the things I used to think were
fun, I can't believe it was me.
I pray to my Higher Power daily that I never revert back to the old me.
The new me is much easier to live with. I never want to graduate from
the A.A. way of life.
Mary Lou L.
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He married a number of times before finding Louise, the love of his life. In an early marriage he lived in the Hollywood area where he was the golf pro at the Culver City country club and gave golf lessons to many movie stars. He lived in the hills and was a neighbor to the film star Robert Taylor and the singer Nat King Cole. He left his wife and left California to settle in N.Y. City where he married again and owned and managed a driving range in the City. He also gave golfing lessons. He moved to Connecticut and managed a Cadillac dealership. He also owned a Beechcraft dealership selling aircraft. I do not know the chronology but one time a fellow fighter pilot approached Jack to fly four P-51 Mustang fighters to San Salvador. His friend made a deal with the husband of the daughter of the President. When they got there a coup had replaced the leadership and Jack and his friends barely made it out of the country. Jack moved to Miami where he owned three bars, one of which was a class restaurant, which Frank Sinatra and other stars would frequent while in Miami. While in Miami he also owned an air charter service and did some contract work for the CIA. He had a little too much to drink on one trip and was caught by the Cuban military while attempting to fly a number of the faculty of the Havana Medical School out of Cuba. He spent quite a while in a Cuban prison where he was beaten. After he and other Americans were traded for some Cubans being detained in the US he returned home and had to have extensive dental work performed to repair the damage inflicted by a vengeful guard. He moved to Pinehurst, NC and went into real estate where he did well. He built two houses in Pinehurst. While there he met newly widowed Louise and played as her partner in a golf tournament. After their marriage, when not in NC, they toured the world living in Paris for a few months on one occasion and in Spain for quite a long stay a different time. Recovery from alcoholism: Jack has been in AA for 25 years. One event near the time of his awakening occurred when he discovered a rash on his chest. When he asked Louise about it she said ‘Don’t you remember, one of your friends brought you home and after he left you collapsed in the driveway.’ Little 120 pound Louise had to get 230 pound Jack into the house so she tied a rope around him and dragged him inside leaving rope burns on his chest.
On one occasion while in a rehab he escaped and hired a cab driver
to take him to the airport. They stopped on the way to have a few
and the cabby took him to the wrong airport. Jack had arranged a
charter flight but at the other field. A Beechcraft was being warmed
up and the young worker left the plane. Jack jumped in it and just
about got away with stealing the plane but was apprehended. The
airplane owner was notified. He recognized Jack as a Beechcraft
dealer and agreed to fly Jack home if he would get help. Jack joined
AA and was active in spearheading a drive for an AA building, which
a number of businessmen purchased in Pinehurst. He started the 11th
Step Meeting in Pinehurst and also the one here in Palm Coast. He
also started the Guys and Dolls Saturday evening meeting here.
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