Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers


Sustain

Cuddles the cat walked past my door and meowed. M.A. scurried after him. In ten minutes they returned.


M.A. disappeared under my desk. I heard a scratching noise and opened the top drawer. M.A.’s tiny head popped out.  I noticed he’d gathered five or six Gummi Bears into a pile next to my pens.


“Saving for a rainy day?” I asked the well-fed, bordering on chubby, ferret.


M.A.’s brain was literally the size of a pea.  Yet he knew to gather, polish, and/or hoard whatever sustains you. Faith, habit, self-discipline, friends, the skills to be self-reliant; it payed to develop them whenever you could.


If the pandemic of ’20-’21 had taught us anything, it was life could be full of surprises, not all of them good. Best to be prepared just in case.


Today I will gather, polish, and/or hoard whatever sustains me.


 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Monday, December 28, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers


Does This Make You Uncomfortable?

My office was warm and quiet. My eyelids seemed to be taking on weight. A cup of coffee later, I still  felt sleep stalking me.  I opened a window.


In ten minutes my office was a chilly 60 degrees. Not so cold I shivered, but uncomfortable.  I had another cup of coffee and started to write.


“Sometimes,” I said to M.A., “you gotta be a little uncomfortable to get things done. You want to lose a little weight?  You gotta be a little hungry.  You want a sober life? You gotta get through those early days of restlessness and cravings.”


M.A. nodded his tiny head in agreement, or at least I thought he did.


“Because,” I continued, “waiting on the other side is something that feels ten times better than whatever you had to endure.”


Today I’ll accept being a little uncomfortable.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, December 23, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


The Gentle Slope of the Wrong Path

The next day I started working on my workbook. I needed a little information on brain chemistry. I started to type hippocampus, but stopped at hippo, just out of curiosity.


I wasted more than an hour reading about hippos, crocodiles, and African rivers.


 “Down the wrong path again,” I said to my laptop. “People talk about a slippery slope. I don’t think it’s all that slippery. You’d notice yourself slipping.  I think the wrong path is more of a gentle downhill grade. You hardly notice you’re going down.”


My laptop didn’t say anything.


“A glass of wine with dinner, a harmless flirtation, a single scratch-off ticket – whatever your weakness is, the wrong path often starts on nearly level ground but leads you lower.


“Being easily distracted is my ‘wrong path’,” I said. “But this is partially your fault.”

 


Today I’ll beware of the gentle downhill slope of the wrong path.

 

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Tuesday, December 22, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

 

Call it a Day

By the time Marti left, the day was almost over. I hadn’t written a line. I also hadn’t wasted a minute. 


I thought about working into the evening. I wasn’t up against a deadline, but I still thought I should have gotten more done.


“What would I say to a good friend?” I asked my laptop. “I’d say you did the best you could. Be happy with it. Tomorrow’s another day.”


I packed up my laptop and called it a day.


 

Today I’ll be satisfied doing the best I can do.

 


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Monday, December 21, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

Filter

Marti stopped by my office. “Abigail says I absolutely need rehab, but I’m not sure.”

“Check your filters,” I said. “What information do you accept, what do you filter out?”

“My filters?”

 “Here’s how my filters worked when I was drinking. If I liked the source, I’d let the information pass. If I liked the information, I’d let it pass. If doing something about the information seemed painful, I’d filter it out.”

“Like how?”

“I loved the people saying I didn’t have a problem, so I accepted their information. I loved the idea of being a social drinker, so I accepted anything indicating I had some control of my drinking.”

I took a sip of my coffee and continued.  “I hated the idea of getting sober. I filtered out evidence I had a drinking problem, blaming everything else for my disaster of a life.”

“I didn’t want to be alone,” Marti said, pursing her lips. “I filtered out all indications my boyfriend was a POS.”

Today I’ll check my filters.

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Friday, December 18, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers


Lighten Up

At the end of the day Abigail passed me in the hall as I was leaving work. “How was court?” I asked her.


“It went as expected,” she said.


“You OK?”


“I’m fine.” She forced a smile as a single tear gathered in the corner of her eye.  She explained the story her aunt had spun of the devoted sister taking in her brother’s abandoned daughter, giving up her prime earning years for the sake of the child.


“Seriously?  Your aunt should be in jail.” I told my own tale of her aunt going to jail, being deloused, and having her head shaved. I threw in a graphic description of a cavity search performed by an angry guard on her fourth cup of coffee.


Abigail smiled a real smile.  I couldn’t help her in any meaningful way, but I thought for just a moment I had lightened her load. I wished I could do more.


 

Today I will try to lighten someone’s burden, if just for a moment.

 


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S


Thursday, December 17, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers


“I Can’t Get No…”

I woke up the next day to eight inches of new snow. Whatever desire I had to be an adult that day drained from my body.


Someone needed to shovel the snow. Abigail and Randy were in court that day.  They were relying on me to generally hold down the fort. I’d promised Dr. Deb I’d unclog a slow drain.


“Or,” I said to the dog, “I could call in sick, read my book, and later watch a football game between teams with more than one direction in their name.   The Northeast Idaho State Wiley Weasels versus the Southwest Louisiana Marauding Mugwamps.”


I got dressed, shoveled the snow, went to work, and later unclogged the drain. Instead of feeling guilty and lazy, I felt satisfied I’d met my responsibilities.


Today I’ll find the satisfaction in meeting my responsibilities.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, December 16, 2020

 



Fawlty Showers


Misstakes

That night Dr. Deb watched a movie while I read a book.


“Yes!” I said. “The author used ‘illicit’ when she meant ‘elicit.’” 


“And that makes you happy?” Dr. Deb asked me, laughing. “You’re getting stranger every year.”


“I can’t tell you how often I find a mistake after I’ve posted something.  It’s usually something I’ve gone over two or three times. Drives me up the wall.”


“And?”


“Her novel was published by one of the big New York firms. It was probably proofread half a dozen times. It’s good to know I’m not the only one who makes those mistakes.”


“The best you can do is try not to repeat your mistakes,” Dr. Deb said.  “Speaking of which, that tie you wore today…”


Today I’ll accept making mistakes, trying not to repeat them.

 


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Tuesday, December 15, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

Later Gator

“You know what I enjoy?” the man asked. “One beer with the ballgame. That’s all I want.”

“Maybe that’s what you want at first,” I said, “But that’s not what you want after the first one. You always want more.”  

Marti, who’d hadn’t known POS on a drug screen meant ‘positive’, shook her head.

“I wanted to see my old boyfriend just one last time,” Marti said. “We had a cup of coffee. Then I wanted to spend one more afternoon with him. Then…”

“Is there a point to this story?” the man asked, interrupting.

“Now we’re married and I want nothing more than to be rid of his sorry ass,” Marti said.

“What we want at first often leads to something we don’t want at all later,” I said. “Beware the Later Gator, it will eat you alive.”

Today I’ll beware of what I’ll want later.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Friday, December 11, 2020

Fawlty Showers

Inspiration

Dr. Deb’s organizational skills were legendary. As she told me about the projects she was overseeing, I realized just how much I admired her.

When I first got sober, stories people told of hard times they’d gotten through without relapsing amazed me.

When I was in my late forties, I was playing basketball in a church league.  “I hope I’m still playing when I’m his age,” a twentysomething said, looking in my direction. Likely it was the only time I ever inspired anyone on a basketball court.  

I said, “You gotta take care of your body.” I thought, ‘I hope tomorrow I can bend over far enough to put my socks on without my back locking up.’


Today I’ll be grateful for people who inspire me, hoping to inspire someone else.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Thursday, December 10, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Of Love and Tater Tots

Dr. Deb asked me what happened. I started to tell her, but our food arrived. I changed my mind.


“Right now, at this moment, I’m staring at a truly amazing sandwich surrounded by one of mankind’s greatest achievements, the tater tot,” I said.


She laughed, and I continued.


 “I’m sitting across from someone I love with all my heart.”


“Which do you love more?” Dr. Deb asked, smiling.


“Well, hon, I mean look at that sandwich. It’s a work of art. And those tots.”


She kicked me under the table.


“Tonight I’ll tell you about work. Tell me about your day, and let me just enjoy this moment.”


Today I’ll live in the moment.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, December 9, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Yumm

“How was your day,” Dr. Deb asked.


I laughed, “So far it’s been a shit sandwich on moldy bread.”


Dr. Deb laughed too. “Nice.  Any other images you want to share as I’m eating?”


Today I’ll laugh at my troubles if I can.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Tuesday, December 8, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Treat

When noon rolled around,  I had a hundred reasons to work through lunch.


I had to finish the workbook.


I had to find out what was happening with the agency.  


I had to figure out my next move.


I had frozen meatballs and a jar of store-brand spaghetti sauce waiting for me in the kitchen.


“Sometimes, you just gotta treat yourself,” I said to M.A. and Cuddles. “To make good times more memorable, and bad times tolerable.”


I called Dr. Deb. “Lunch ?”


“Sounds great!” she said.


I smiled as she told me about her day. In 2025 we had been together 36 years, married for 34.  Lunch with her was still a treat.


Today I’ll treat myself.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Monday, December 7, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers

The Art of Distraction

Cuddles sauntered in, followed close behind by M.A.

“Here’s the irony,” I said to M.A. and Cuddles as they stood in front of my desk studying me. “I’m writing a book about the slogan ‘life on life’s terms.’”

Neither the cat nor the ferret seemed to get the point.

“Life’s terms are a little uncertain right now,” I explained. “Sometimes uncertainty is worse than certain loss. You don’t want to get your hopes up, but you don’t want to accept defeat.”

M.A. looked at me quizzically.

“You do all you can to change the situation in your favor. If you have any time left, you gotta practice the art of distraction.”

Cuddles jumped up on my desk and purred. I knew he’d understand.

“So there’s nothing I can do about Abigail’s aunt.  I could make myself crazy worrying. Instead, I’ll go to the gym. I’ll focus on my writing. I’ll try cooking new things. I will distract myself before worry gets the best of me.”

M.A. made a chattering sound. He got it too.

Today I’ll practice the art of distraction.

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S


Friday, December 4, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers

Twists and Turns

“I kinda wish someone had told me this before I was hired,” I said to Katy.

“The case was all but settled,” Katy said. “The aunt wasn’t going to get much. Then the judge died, and the whole situation changed overnight.”

I wanted to be angry, but Randy couldn’t have anticipated a judge dying. I shrugged and said, “What are you gonna do?”

The old me might have gotten drunk. Instead, I sat in my office thinking how life takes unexpected turns. You find a lump. You inherit money. There’s an accident. You meet that special someone. You discover why that special someone is still single. The economy booms. The economy crashes. OMG You’re Pregnant!!! OMG, you’re pregnant…

“Gotta accept life is full of twists and turns,” I said to my laptop.

Today I will accept life is going to be full of twists and turns.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Thursday, December 3, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

Stonger, Smarter Luckier

Later I asked Katy what was going on.

Katy said, “Randy and Abigail are cousins.  They share the miserable aunt who raised Abigail. When their grandfather died, the fortune was split three ways: Randy’s mother, Abigail’s father, Randy and Abigail’s aunt.”

I didn’t like where this conversation was going.   

“The Aunt spent her money, and is now tying Abigail up in court, claiming as her former guardian, she should have gotten half the inheritance when Abigail's father died.”

“Abigail and Randy were counting on that money to keep Fawlty Showers going until it turned a profit,” I said. Katy nodded, looking like she was about to cry.

My first sponsor had told me, ‘When it’s worse than you imagined, remember you’re stronger and smarter than you think, luckier than you feel.’

If Today is difficult, I'll remember I’m stronger and smarter than I think, luckier than I feel.

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, December 2, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


The Dreaded Allegheny River Piranhas

Randy stopped in later that morning to check on my progress. He looked like the underside of a dumpster.


“Not sleeping again, boss?” I asked.


“Could you hold off cashing your check until Monday?” he asked.


There were signs your company was doing well. Being asked not to cash your paycheck right away was not one of them.


“Okay,” I said, waiting for an explanation, but getting none.


Catastrophizing is a common cognitive distortion, a way people make themselves anxious and depressed by exaggerating all the negative possibilities, no matter how unlikely. I had once been the Michael Jordan of catastrophizing.


If I was five minutes late for a training, I’d start thinking I’d get fired. This would kick off a series of imagined events ending with me living under a bridge by the river.  On a good day piranhas would eat me alive when I waded into Allegheny to bathe.


On that day, I felt the familiar anxiety, let it wash over me, and got back to work.


Today I will go forward despite my fears.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Fawlty Showers

Habit

Dana arrived, a box of donuts in hand.


“You don’t have to do this every day,” I said, mulling over my selection. “But, thanks.”


Dana said, “When I start something new, I try to pick a good habit. Come hell or high water I stick to that habit.”


“So getting donuts was the habit you picked up when you started this internship.” She nodded.


“Do you know what I do at lunch?” Dana asked.


“Poison pigeons in the park? Steal blankets from homeless people? Tell small children there’s no Santa?”


“I text my husband and kids a heart and a little note.”


After she left I wondered if there wasn’t a good habit I could start.


Today I will start a new good habit.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/



 

Wednesday, November 25, 2020


 FAWLTY SHOWERS


Lookout

I hadn’t been in my office long when M.A. and Cuddles the cat wandered in. Cuddles eyed the top of the new filing cabinet.


M.A. made a chattering sound. Cuddles stretched. M.A. chattered some more.  Cuddles turned his attention from the cabinet to my desk. He jumped onto my desk, caught his breath, and then leapt onto the top.


M.A. held up a tiny paw. Was he giving Cuddles the thumbs up? “You’re losing your mind, Montrose,” I said to my laptop.


What was the lesson? You have to stretch if you want to reach your goal.  Don’t give up, take it one step at a time.  Celebrate your friends’ successes?


My mind went back to MA the ferret warning Cuddles to stretch first.

 

Today I’ll be grateful for friends looking out for me.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Tuesday, November 24, 2020

 

Fawlty Showers


SNIT

The next morning I forgot my coffee. Even though I was just ten minutes from my office I stopped to buy a cup.


A very pretty girl in line in front of me went off on her boyfriend. He’d forgotten a coupon that might have saved them a dollar.  I recognized him. He was a new client.


As she rattled on, my mind began to wander. Looking for a kinder word than the one that popped into my head at first, I landed on the word snit. So Not Into This.  Some New Insane Tirade.  Someone Needs Immediate Tasering.  


“Life is too short to spend time around snitwits,” I whispered to him as she ordered. “Especially in early recovery when your emotions are raw.  You can’t argue with snitwits, best to avoid them if you can.”

He shrugged, looked her up and down, and made a gesture that said, “She’s hot, I’m an idiot.”


Today I’ll avoid the snitwits.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Monday, November 23, 2020


Fawlty Showers


Sucks to Be You

The next day I rode by bike around North Park. My ride ended at the bottom of a steep hill near the Boat House.


I was going too fast when I turned into the parking lot. My front tire hit a bump and I flew over the handlebars, landing on my back in the grass next to the path.


A man walked his bike past me, not asking if I was OK.  Maybe because I was in pain, I felt a little resentful.


I started wishing he’d have a little bad luck as well. A fungal infection spreading upward from the seat of his bike. An audit by the IRS. An infestation of murder hornets.


In a few minutes I calmed down. Looking after me was not his job. I was just glad I wasn’t him. I mentally started listing other people I was glad I was not.


Today I’ll make a list of people I’m glad I’m not.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

 

Friday, November 20, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

What a Bargain

I met Dr. Deb, Brat Boy, his girlfriend CharChar, my daughter Blondie and her boyfriend TyGuy.


 “Do you ever miss it, Daddy?” Blondie asked as a tray of drinks went past.


“Sometimes,” I said, “If alcohol and other drugs had no initial upside, nobody would get addicted.”


I took a bite of my salad and added, “Here’s the bargain. You give up your chemical for something. Sometimes you don’t even know exactly what you’re getting in exchange, you just know it has to be better than your addiction.”


 “You made that bargain before you had Brat Boy,” Blondie said. “You must feel cheated.” Brat Boy flicked a crouton at her. Even as adults a look from Dr. Deb was enough to stop them in their tracks.


I smiled, “Sometimes you don’t get what you bargained for. You think you’re getting one thing, but you get something else instead. Life is unfair. Some people get a little less than maybe they deserve, some people a little more, but always something better than their addiction.”


I looked around the table at my wife, my children, and their loved ones who were a bonus I had never counted on. 


“I got so much more than I bargained for,” I said. “I’ve been incredibly lucky.”


 

Today I’ll be grateful when I get what I bargained for.

 

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

www.greenbriartraining.com 

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Thursday, November 19, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Hope and Help

 I hit the gym on my way home from work.


“I’m hoping I don’t ruin Thanksgiving this year,” the guy in the locker next to me said to his friend.


His friend laughed. “Not again.”


“My in-laws drive me to drink.  Oh God, I hope I don’t get too drunk.”


“Hope you don’t either,” his buddy said. “Your wife cries to my wife and I gotta hear about it.”


I didn’t know this guy, but I wanted to say, ‘why don’t you give hope some help by not picking up the first drink?’


I didn’t. I’d been there, never giving hope any help. Hoping I’d pass without studying. Hoping to lose weight on the beer, pizza, and TV plan. Hoping to succeed without really trying. It was all false hope.


I’d learned hope without help only dulled the frustration and anxiety. False hope was a painkiller that let the problem grow.  


 

Today I’ll give hope some help.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Fawlty Showers


Stepping in Should

As we walked back to our offices I said, “Good group, I liked the way you had them see the source of their frustration and the way they express it aren’t always connected.”


A smile crossed Abigail’s face. She nodded. “Thank you.”


We walked a step or two further and her posture stiffened. She said, “I should have spent more time talking about the consequences of not dealing with frustration.”


“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  The group learned something.”


“Yes, but I should have gotten into the connection between being easily frustrated early in recovery and brain chemistry.”


“Well, it’s over. I suggest you quit shoulding on yourself,” I said. I had the feeling she’d be doing just that the rest of the afternoon.


Today I won’t should on myself.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/

Tuesday, November 17, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Pain

Abigail asked if I would monitor her group, saying she needed to confront someone who might react badly. She added a list of detailed instructions for when and how I should intervene.


I wanted to tell her I’d been running groups when she was learning to correct other people’s grammar, but I let it go.


We walked over to a group room that had been carved out of the fire hall next door.  I sat in the tiny office, walled off from the rest of the room by temporary dividers.


I had expected Abigail’s group to be a grinding, depressing affair, almost as much fun as a root canal.  People who’ve suffered too much can’t always get past their own pain. 


Despite all the misery she’d endured, or maybe because of it, Abigail connected with her group in a way that told them she understood their struggle.  The conversation got heated, but never out of hand.


I left the group inspired. I made a list of others I had known who’d risen above their, putting their experiences to good use.

 

Today I’ll learn from people who’ve risen above their pain.

 

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Monday, November 16, 2020


Fawlty Showers


Reminder

My son Brat Boy called to remind me we were meeting for dinner.


My memory had worsened as I’d gotten older. I’d started setting multiple reminders, including asking people to call me about important events or deadlines, anything I didn’t want to forget.


When I was having a bad day, I’d shut my eyes and remember the accident that ended my drinking career.  I knew a guy who kept his wedding ring from his first marriage to remind himself never to take his second wife for granted.


A long time ago, I had met a guy who felt the desire to drink whenever he had money in his pockets.  He went around with a dime in his pocket, just in case he needed to make a phone call.  (It was a long, long, time ago.) “That dime reminds me of all the money I spent on booze,” he said.


“I remember payphones,” I said to Brat Boy.


“Dad,” Brat Boy said, laughing, “Do you remember our conversation about only saying out loud the thoughts in your head connected to the current conversation?”

 

Today I’ll set a reminder.


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Friday, November 13, 2020


 Fawlty Showers

Amends

“So what happened to your son after he put bugs in his buddy’s chili?” I asked.

Dana broke out in a big smile. “I told him to go to his friend’s house to apologize. He trudged out the door like he was on his way to prison.  Guess what he did.”

I shrugged, “No idea.”

“He raked the leaves for his friend. I didn’t tell him to, he just did it.  Took him hours. Then he went in and apologized.”

“Wow, he really did make amends.”

“He did it right. No half-hearted apology. Made the effort before he said sorry.”

“I’m impressed. Lots of adults say they’re sorry, promise to make it up, but don’t put forth much effort.”

Dana said, “He’s a good kid at heart.”

“Well, he did try to poison his friend’s lunch…”

 

Today I will remember truly making amends takes effort.

 

Fawlty Showers © 2020 by Ken Montrose

Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Thursday, November 12, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Nothing Personal

“You never told me why Abigail is wound so tight,” I said.


“Sad story,” Dana said. “Mom died when Abigail was a baby. Rich father went off the rails. Sexually harassed a series of nannies. Had to leave the country.”


“That’s miserable,” I said.


Dana nodded. “He left Abigail in the care of his very angry, bi-polar sister. Abigail spent her whole childhood trying to please her aunt while staying out of her way. Straight A’s, president of every club.  She never knew when or why her aunt was going to explode.” 


“And because so much of her life was out of control, she now tries to control everything around her,” I guessed.


“You got it.”


“I’m never going to like her control freak nature, but now that I understand, I’m less likely to take it personally.”


Today I’ll try to understand why people are the way they are.


 

Fawlty Showers © 2020 by Ken Montrose


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Wednesday, November 11, 2020


 Fawlty Showers


Donuts

“Wait,” Dana said, between bites of her sandwich, “you eat two donuts every morning. How can you say you avoid sweets?”


I said, “Donuts are not sweets. Candy is sweets. Pop is sweets. Cake is sweets.”


“Donuts are like little circle cakes made with sugar and covered in something sugary.”


“You’re confusing donuts with cupcakes.”


“You’re rationalizing. You’re like that guy who smokes weed all day every day and tells himself he’s a recreational user.”


She took another bite of sandwich, and added, “You’re like the woman who buys hundreds of scratch-off tickets and says she’s doing it because the proceeds benefit senior citizens.”


“And you couldn’t be more wrong,” I said, knowing she was right.


Today I won’t rationalize.

(Unless it’s about something really important, or I really want to do, or…)

 

Fawlty Showers © 2020 by Ken Montrose


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/


Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Fawlty Showers


Self-Discipline

At lunchtime, Dana came into my office, carrying a fast-food bag.


“Do you mind?” she asked, pointing to the sole chair in the room.


“Well,” I said, rolling my eyes and pretending to be ambivalent. “Don’t you usually eat in the kitchen with Abigail?”


“She eats the same thing every day.  A hard-boiled egg, half a sandwich, and tea.  It’s painful to watch that much self-discipline.”


I nodded. “You do need some. I don’t drink. I try to avoid sweets. I work out three or four times a week.   I’ll never have washboard abs, but I think I’ve learned enough self-discipline.”


“You need enough to not ruin your life, but not so much that you can’t enjoy it.”


 

Today I’ll try to find the right amount of self-discipline.

 


Fawlty Showers © 2020 by Ken Montrose


Fawlty Showers is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.


Other works by Ken Montrose are available at:

·         www.greenbriartraining.com 

·         https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8MG0S

·         https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/