I love jail–the kind where I bring an AA meeting and then get to leave afterward. Last night I went to the small county jail where a few of us bring a meeting. I was the only one able to attend from the outside. The officer said I could expect at least one woman. Well, five showed up and that, my friend, was a record. The women ranged in age from 18 to 49, some with no children, some with as many as seven children, and expressed various degrees of willingness. Listening to their stories, I was reminded of where I had been and where I will go if I drink again.
Recently, my sponsor was reminding me that my job as a sponsor (and I can generalize this to Twelfth Step work) is to share my experience, period. The end result is that I stay sober, no matter what happens to the other person. I do hope all five women stay sober but the one thing I knew for sure, leaving that jail last night, was that I had some more insurance against a drink.