I received this email yesterday:
I don’t remember the man who sent me this email. I remember that time in my life though. We had relocated back to Florida for the 2nd time. I was about 3 years sober at the time and active in AA.
I attended many AA meetings and focused on reaching out to people who needed help. I made these business cards to hand out because:
- I wanted newcomers to see that it was possible to be in AA and have your shit together. I was a successful businessman and husband and AA member. There were many people who inspired me this way when I first joined AA.
- I liked how the cards looked. For me, the image was the best of Florida. Being bright orange would also make the card stand out to anyone I gave it to.
- This was before smartphones. Most people wrote their number on a torn scrap of paper. The cards were much easier to hand out. I hoped they also demonstrated to the newcomer that I wasn’t ashamed of being an alcoholic in AA (and they didn’t have to be either).
I don’t know if anything I said or did ever helped the man who sent me this email. I don’t think I sponsored him. I have a feeling we never even spoke on the phone.
Receiving this email gave me a surge of joy that afternoon. It got me thinking about the people in AA who helped me so much but may have known they did. I did my best to thank many of them in person when I could. But there were so many people who I met in passing, or heard their story once, or received a hug from, or just admired from a distance who I will never have the opportunity to thank.
I am glad, that in some small way, maybe I’m one of them too.