Tag: booze

Before trouble comes “H.A.L.T” (on awareness)

I’m reading the book by Brennan Manning called, “The Wisdom of Tenderness”.

Here is a gem I read today on page 107 and that I found really potent.

Brennan Manning died last year, and he is probably best known for writing the Ragamuffin Gospel. He accumulated a lot of wisdom through life, but it didn’t come cheap. Poor choices, wrong turns, and hard lessons molded him into a person of great compassion and grace–a sage for the poor in spirit and those smart enough to listen. Many sought him out for his wisdom.

When Manning came into recovery as an alcoholic he learned a buzzword from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). They use it as a way to create greater awareness in a person who is vulnerable to slipping back into alcohol abuse.

• They stay on the lookout for four qualities that make them susceptible to relapse and are encouraged to seek help when they identify them occurring in their life. Before they take a sip they look for the signs and call for backup.

halt

H.A.L.T.

H – Hungry (not just for food, but a longing in general)

A – Angry (or stressed, or frustrated)

L – Lonely (or rejected, or left out)

T – Tired (often tired from helping others or being otherwise overcommitted)

People in AA have to rely on each other to find support and avoid the demon booze. People in AA need to cultivate an awareness of their vulnerabilities to avoid a slide into dangerous, even life-threatening, behavior. But, don’t we all need help in the same sorts of ways? We engage in all sorts of bad habits from over eating, to binge tv watching, trolling on Facebook, eating a pint of ice cream out of the box, to watching or reading licentious content, to pill popping....or whatever…it’s probably very different for each person.

Sometimes we don’t even realize our feelings or how we are trying to soothe our selves.

Let’s develop the awareness to halt and seek help when we get run down, over-extended, or when we find ourselves feeling in some way hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. It can be the escape route from trouble, bad choices. It is awareness at the heart of any meaningful transformation or spiritual growth.

Will you be able to know to H.A.L.T. before trouble?

I’ll post other tidbits as I find them. Enjoy the book for yourself if you can. You can get it used for pocket change.

Nothing Says “Happy New Year” like Old Time Babies Drinkin’ Booze!

U2 sings “Nothing changes on New Year’s Day”, and I think they’re right. BUT, over the years what was considered cute seems to have changed. A lot.

This vintage card is from about the turn of the 20th century. (1900-ish, for anyone who is confused). Maybe this is why they came up with the Constitutional Amendment forbidding alcohol, (prohibiting alcohol, Amendment 18, for those of you who are confused). It seems too many babies were celebrating New Years Eve, and perhaps other holidays, and drinking from huge champagne glasses.

Babies shouldn't drink, even on New Years Eve

In 1933 came the repeal of this ill-conceieved ban: the 21st Amendment. This repeal was basically so people could drink themselves into drunken stupors because The Great Depression (economic collapse) made everyone (except really rich people) really poor. I’m not sure if babies got in on the drinking at that time too, but most of them probably went off to war a few years later (December 8, 1941–September 2, 1945) to fight the Germans and the Japanese. Lots of alcohol was flowing then. And boom–no more Depression. Alcohol had solved everything.

Or maybe babies were just much, much smaller 110 years ago. The cork seems gigantic also. So, the mystery continues!

Any thoughts on this matter?

Any hopes for the New Year that you’d like to share?

Oh, and Happy New Year!