Fawlty Showers 2

Second Chances

Margaret the Newbie called me from jail while I was at the conference. She complained bitterly that the court system owed her a second chance.

“They don’t owe you anything,” I said.  “We are not guaranteed second chances.”

“I don’t belong here,” she wailed.

“You showed up drunk at a school, fought with the principal, and tried to kick a cop.”

She went back to insisting she deserved a second chance, before hanging up on me.

I thought of painful conversations I’d had with people who realized too late you don’t always get a second chance.

You don’t get a second chance to raise your kids.  Sometimes the marriage can’t be saved. You can’t say the things you wanted to say to lost loved ones before they passed away.

 

Today I know second chances are not guaranteed.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

 

Fawlty Showers 2

FAWLTY SHOWERS 2

 

The next day I was scheduled to speak at a three-day conference. The timing couldn't have been worse. Work had stacked up on my desk.  I had two trainings the next week I wanted to revise. 

On the drive to the conference I saw a sign for a flea market, pie by the slice, and fresh cider.

"Can't do this," I said to myself. "Don't have time."

The car had other ideas. I pulled up, bought a slice of pie and a glass of cider. I joked about football with a guy in an Eagles jersey and bought a slightly chipped ceramic frog for my pond.

When I got to the conference I realized I wasn't half as worried as I had been before I stopped. 

"It's all about taking a moment for yourself," I said to the car.  It could have been my imagination, but I thought I felt the car shudder a bit, as if to say, 'stopping was my idea.'

 

Today I'll take a moment for myself. 

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

 

 

 

Fawlty Showers 2

 

“But I Was Drunk”

Each of the treadmills at the gym had its own little built-in TV.  I turned on the local news, hoping I hadn’t missed the sports.

The anchorman said, “And now a bizarre story of an ex-teacher being arrested at a local high school.”

 There was Margaret the Newbie, dressed like she still worked there, trying to kick a cop in heels. (Margaret was wearing heels, not the cop.)

I knew Margaret well enough to know she’d be horrified by her own behavior. I also knew she’d blame it on being drunk.

“You knew when you took the first drink you might do things you wouldn’t do sober,” I said to the screen. “If you start down a dark path, you can’t blame the path. You are responsible once you take the first step.”

 

Today I am responsible for the path I choose.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 Moving

“Are you going to the gym?” Dr. Deb called from the living room as I walked into the kitchen.  I wanted to, but knew the next several minutes I’d be tempted not to.

“Maybe I’ll watch a little TV with you and go later,” I said.

Dr. Deb laughed. “If we start watching, what are the chances you’ll get up and go?”

I sighed. “Slim to none. So much easier to keep moving than to start moving. Better to keep the positive momentum going.”

“So get moving. We can eat when you get back.”

 

Today I’ll keep the positive momentum going.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Beware the Horrible Toblin

When I got back from my meeting, my neighbor was in my yard.  She asked me what I was going to be for Halloween.

I thought for a moment. Sober, clear-headed, at peace with the world? Awash in gratitude?

I wasn’t quite sure a six-year-old would understand what awash in anything meant.  

“I’m going to be a Toblin,” I said.

“What’s a Toblin?” she asked.

“A tall goblin that buries little girls in the leaf pile and steals their Halloween candy.” I looked over at the leaf pile. “Hey there’s some leaves, and you’re a little girl…”

She ran away shrieking and laughing as I chased her into her own yard. 

“Toblins are sooo slow,” she said, laughing even harder.

“Yes, but we’re sneaky.  Just you wait for Halloween.”  

As I walked into my house, I thought how lucky I was to be clear-headed. I knew a lot of people too consumed with anger, disappointment, envy, addiction, and the like to be grateful.

 

Today I’ll be grateful I’m clear-headed enough to be grateful.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Track Meet

I went to my homegroup that weekend. Before the meeting started, a newcomer tearfully told a group of us how she had struggled to stay sober the night before.

“I was a hurdler in college,” a tall, very thin, young man said to her. “You know what I learned?”

She shrugged.

“Don’t look back at the hurdle, no matter how you got past it, during the race.  If you fly over it, or you knock it down, keep moving.”

I nodded in agreement. “I’ve been sober a long time, but early on, I barely cleared the hurdles.”

“But you didn’t look back, you kept moving,” the young man said, finishing my thought.

“I kept moving,” I said. “Sometimes a little shaky, off-balance, banged up, but moving forward.”

 

Today I won’t look back at hurdles I’ve cleared.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

Time to Grieve

Turning away from the gravesite, a wave of sadness hit me.

My impulse to fight back against the dark cloud clicked into motion. I would write a gratitude list, ride my bike, have a good meal, watch a movie.  Like an engine sputtering then dying, I quickly lost enthusiasm for any of those options.

I thought of the losses I’d suffered over the years. I didn’t want to wallow in this one, but I wondered if I shouldn’t allow myself a little time to grieve.

Today I’ll allow myself a little time to grieve.

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible
 

Fawlty Showers 2

 

For Example

I went to the burial. Standing back from the grave I saw many people crying, but more than a few had smiles on their faces, no doubt remembering something funny Talmadge had said or done.

“You really showed people how life should be lived,” I said softly.

The wind shifted. I turned toward the smell, not surprised to see smoke drifting out from behind a tree.  Talmadge’s son-in-law was getting high while his wife and three boys grieved.

Talmadge had set a good example for everyone around him.  Not everyone had learned from that example. 

I thought of all the good people I’d known.  I made up my mind not to let their example be wasted on me.

 

Today I won’t waste a good example.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 Today

The next day I got a call from Talmadge’s wife.  He’d died in his sleep.

My first thought was he hadn’t gotten to enjoy Florida for very long. It seemed so unfair.

My next thought was how much Talmadge had enjoyed life. Talmadge had loved people. He’d spent years playfully talking trash with Stanley, laughing liking hyenas at their own jokes.

He’d loved his wife, and when he wasn’t making fun of her cooking, told her so.  He loved his dog, loved Epiphany’s dog Mojo, loved any dog that crossed his path.

Talmadge loved the NBA, NFL, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He’d learned a little Italian playing bocce with the old guys he’d met in the park. He had been a killer on the pickleball court.

Talmadge would fish through a tornado if the bass were biting.

I thought of something Talmadge had said to me, smile on his face, staring at a donut as if it were the first one he’d ever tasted.  “Tomorrow isn’t promised. That’s a good thing. Keeps you from wasting today.”

 

Today I will enjoy life as much as I can because tomorrow isn’t promised.

(And that’s a good thing.)

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Sleepy Time

Dr. Deb sat down next to me on the couch. She looked into my eyes, and shook her head.

“You’ve been burning the midnight oil again,” she said with a disapproving tone.

“I’m OK.”

“You’re worried about your friends in AA, and you’re not sure what will happen with your boss moving to corporate.”

“What’s your point?” I asked.

“That when things weigh on your mind, you work late to distract yourself. What you really need is more sleep.”

She was right, but I wasn’t ready to surrender.  “OK, I’m just gonna work on a short story for half an hour, then I’ll be up to bed.”

Dr. Deb snorted. “It’ll take you half an hour to find where I hid your laptop.”

I followed her up the stairs, on my way to a good night’s sleep.

Tonight I’ll try to get enough sleep.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 Own It

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Margaret the Newbie said.

I said, “I guess whatever the lawyer recommends.”

There was a long silence at her end. “I was at fault. I know that, but I don’t want to go to jail.”

“Very few people do.”

“I really don’t, and my lawyer thinks he may have a way for me to walk.”

It was my turn to be silent.  Finally, I said, “How will you own your mistake?”

“What do you mean, ‘own it’?”

“Take responsibility. Make amends. Do something that shows your remorse.”

Margaret didn’t say anything.

I thought of an example.  “I knew a guy who embezzled money.  He stayed out of jail on a technicality, but he owned his mistake by paying back what he stole.”

“I don’t know what I could do. I just know I’m not going to jail if I can avoid it.”

 

 “Think about it. Owning your mistake will serve you better in the long run.”

 

Today I will own my mistakes.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

I Can Live With That

That night Margaret the Newbie called me from jail.  She’d left a bar and hit a man walking his dog. He was in bad shape. She was in deep trouble.

“I’ll have to live with this for the rest of my life,” she said.

I felt bad for her, knowing years ago that could have been me in jail, wishing I hadn’t made the decision to drive drunk.

Sitting in my comfortable living room, Dr. Deb beside me, dog on my lap, content and at ease with the world, I was glad I’d made decisions I could live with.

 

Today I’ll make decisions I can live with.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

What Dads Do

“So how are you going to do it?” Epiphany asked as we left the meeting. “Talmadge is in Florida.”

“Do what?” I asked.

“Pretend you’re just standing around talking to Talmadge, while you’re really watching to see that I get to my car OK, in the safest neighborhood in Pittsburgh.”

“Was I that obvious?” I asked, knowing the answer.

Epiphany punched me. “You two looked like you were on guard duty, scouting the neighborhood for enemy soldiers.”

“Sorry, force of habit. I was just doing what dads do, even though you’re not my child.”

She smiled. “OK, it’s still annoying, but it’s also a kind of a nice way to show you care.”

As she walked away she turned and looked over her shoulder.

I pretended to talk into my watch, like I was Secret Service, “This is the Coachman. The Evil Stepsister has left the ball. I repeat the Evil Stepsister has left the ball.”

She made a rude gesture and we both laughed.

Today I’ll find a new way to show someone I care.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

The Upside of Powerlessness

“Where’s Margaret?” I asked Epiphany Chaser.

“You didn’t hear?” she asked. “She relapsed. Missed several days of school. Got placed on administrative leave.”

“Dammit,” I muttered. “When will she learn?”

“No sense getting mad. You and I both know we’re powerless over what other people do.”

“Sucks being powerless,” I said.

Epiphany shrugged. “If someone becomes a true friend, maybe even loves you, you know it was by choice. That’s the upside of powerlessness.”

I smiled. “I guess powerlessness has its advantages.”

 

Today I’ll be grateful I’m powerless over what people do, including loving me.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible
 

Fawlty Showers 2

Undone

“How’s Mojo?” I asked Epiphany as I reached down to scratch the dog’s ears.

Epiphany said, “It’s like he’s aging backward.  A couple days ago he found an old tennis ball for me to throw.”

“Wow!”

“He’s really coming out of his shell. Now he plays with the puppy next door. He curled up in a sunbeam with my mother’s cat yesterday.”

“It’s like you’re undoing the sadness he felt when his owner died.”

We sat in silence for a moment, sipping our coffee.

Epiphany smiled and nudged me. “OK, you always have a gratitude list. What’s your list this time?”

“Damage that could be undone.  Relationships, finances, health, whatever I’ve damaged that I could restore.”

Today I’ll be grateful for damage undone.

 

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

 

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Past

A dark look crossed Epiphany’s face. I asked her what was bothering her.

“Remembering some of the outright wrong things I did,” she said. “Don’t think you’d understand.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“I know you drank too much, but you don’t seem like the type to do what I did.”

“You only know what you see today,” I said with a laugh. “You’re comparing what you don’t like about your past with how you see me now. You don’t know what’s in my past.”

 

Today I won’t judge my past based on someone’s present appearance.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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

 

#addictionawareness #dailymessage #inspiration #odaat #recoveryposse #recoveryispossible

Fawlty Showers 2

 

Pathfinding

As the meeting started, I stared into my coffee and thought about Epiphany’s situation. I smiled. “Pathfinding,” I muttered.

“Pitt funding?” Epiphany asked.

“Pathfinding,” I said. “Pathfinding is when you go down a different path. If that doesn’t work you try another. You’re pathfinding.”

“Wasn’t I pathfinding with all the guys I dated before?”

“Maybe. But it sounds more like you walked the same path again and again, just with different companions.”

Epiphany frowned. “Every relationship I had started in a bar, centered around drinking, and ended with a text.  This is a new path for me.”

“Smile, a new path takes you somewhere, going in circles just wears you out.”

 

Today I’ll try something new, and do a little pathfinding.

 

Fawlty Showers 2 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