Social Status no bar Disease

“If a person has cancer all are sorry for him…But not so with alcoholic illness, for with it there goes annihilation of all things worthwhile in life…It brings misunderstanding, fierce resentment, financial insecurity, disgusted friends and employers, warped lives of blameless children, sad wives and parents…”
- Alcoholics Anonymous

Alcohol has plenty of romantic associations. The gold-and-scarlet glow of liquor advertisements, the fizz of the champagne opened by a victorious sportsman, the toast at a party or the thrill teenagers feel over a secret beer bash – they all make for the feel-good image of alcohol.

Many people drink socially, or occasionally, and are able to stop after a few drinks. It does not interfere with any other aspect of their life. But for some others who drink, things go awry.

We do not know for sure why some people are more susceptible to alcohol abuse than others. An alcoholic is not just the man in tatters, knocked flat on the road after a binge. Alcoholism is an age no bar, economic status/ social status no bar disease.

An alcoholic is one, whose drinking causes continuing problems in any area of his life (such as family relationships, job, financial status or health) and who continues to drink in spite of these problems because he has developed a physical and psychological dependence on alcohol.

Miracles

The practical answer is that since these things have happened among us,
they can happen with you. Should you wish them above all else, and be willing to make use of our experience, we are sure they will come. The age of miracles is still with us. Our own recovery proves that!
- Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 153.

" If "

Alcoholism respects no ifs. It does not go away, not for a week, for a day, or even for an hour, leaving us nonalcoholic and able to drink again
on some special occasion or for some extraordinary reason, not even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, or a big sorrow hits us, or if it rains in Spain or the stars fall on Alabama. Alcoholism is for us unconditional, with no exceptions at any price.
- Living Sober, p. 63

 If I don't drink today, I have the hope of a tomorrow. Don't give up before the miracle happens.

I'm venki, and I am an greatfull recovering alcoholic. I'm thinking about miracles. We are truly blessed in AA. Those of us who are members of AA get to hear about miracles almost daily. Amazing stories! And I carry a little piece of those stories in my heart now, all the time. 
From the depths of true despair most people never even see in a lifetime, to being joyful, happy and actually productive members of society that's what AA does for people. I have experienced some miracles in my life that I could not begin to explain away by any logical reasoning. I knew too even when I was in the middle of it, I was in the presence of something big, unfathomable, powerful, and completely safe and loving. I hate it when someone describes having seen a "burning bush," because my own was nothing like a vision, really. It was a deep, deep knowing. If you've ever experienced it, you'll know what I mean. There's no mistaking it; it's undeniable. But I see small miracles a lot in life, too. I've learned to stay awake and keep looking. Just sobering up for me was just such an experience. 
I sure didn't see sobriety coming. one day I slept out, as usual. Nothing really special had happened , just another drunk, another day, another grueling and hideous day of drinking. And that morning, I was stunned and wake up knowing that I'm sober. It's over. It wasn't a decision, or a "Gee, it's a dreem at the point of time i decided I should get help here." I just woke up and knew. I haven't had to have a drink since that morning. I don't pretend that experience is enough. I am an alcoholic, with all that goes with that. So, it's a daily program here for this gal. I know better than to think that my well-being doesn't need to be maintained. But during tha first year of sobriety, there were so many stressful challenges that my councilor  was afraid for me from time to time.  he used to say, "venkatash, things can change in a blink of an eye. Don't forget that." And really, how could I forget? After all, I was sober in a blink of an eye, too. My way of saying it is, "Don't count God out." We know so very little.
I created this section, the Miracle that is me, to tell my own story in life, which has become a miracle for me. It was meant in my mind to cover more my past that brought me to this point in life, and as I said in my introduction, that all of you should write your own stories of your journey in life and your personal miracles. I considered also creating a section to journal in from time to time, my daily experiences that have some sort of merit and teaching. I realize tonight I don’t need a separate section to journal in this manner, because my life is still being written, and the miracle that is me continues to grow personally. I have thought numerous times of journaling publicly, but usually I back off and plain forget, thinking sometimes maybe the story isn’t significant enough to share, but a growing life is about all the little things too.