Today or yesterday I thought again about my old conception of 12 step recovery. My old conception was a caricature like Stuart Smalley. I thought the AA program was going to be a lame form of therapy with daily afirmations and sappy slogans. I realize now that this was a cheesy parody due to the shallow observations of outsiders. I realize now that the program is a discipline for living that has great strength like the martial arts or the samurai code. While the steps are used by persons who have hit moral and spiritual bottom, the program is actually the same steps that normal people use in their disciplines to find power, peace, and direction.

I intend to expand on this thought through further meditation.

This morning I struggled to wake up. Tonight I cooked dinner, practiced baseball, played washers, cut branches, and took a bike ride.

Today I had to be assertive with my wife and not react to her reaction. She seemed to get over it.

I got to go to the noon meeting.

Thanks be to God for a great day and for re-covery.