Back About Hunnert Years Ago ;-)

[Chronocidal Charlie]

While I was in the service and had on advice from a well meaning Unit
commander pertaining to my drinking. Kinda like he sed...

"Charlie, I can't tell you to stop drinking. That is out of my realm of
responsibility. But you're due to re-enlist in a few months, and you're
gonna need a waiver signed by me due to some of the shit you've pulled
last few years. So maybe if you was to go on over behind post
headquarters and see if they admit you to that new fangled Alcohol
Rehabilitation Program that they experimenting with and go through the
program, I might be lil more amenable to siging them waivers."

So I did.

Well, it a matter of archive on Google what came of that. In no time at
all, I'd become a successful rehab, caught attention of my female
counselor who had requested I be detached special duty as her case
assistant and pretty soon there after she was my AA sponsor, we was
sleeping around with each other and I had my own office, super counselor
status and pretty hefty case load. We was pretty trendy new-age AA, two
hatter sorts, lot of seminars, pop psychology books, and all that jazz.
Self improvement stuff out the ass and would have weekend get together
to talk about how much we wuz growen. :-)

Sumpin this afternoon sparked a memory. I got so pissed at the Colonel
in charge of the center, an *old* AA salt, that I could spit nails about
sumpin he said that rubbed me wrong. I talked to my trendy AA sponsor,
and fuck buddy about it 'nd she sed, "Charlie, you need to go to the
Colonel and spit it out. Something like:

Colonel, you know, I feel very angry with you right now
because you said________. No shouting. No raising your voice or
accusations. Just spell it out."

So I did.

Colonel listened intently, and when I was through said, "So."

Caught off guard I stammered a tad, Kinda like "so ah um, etc. Maybe..
blah, blah..." like maybe I was expecting he could retract what he had
said, apologize, cry, do any damn thing in the world other than look at
me with a *blank* look and a "So." like he could have at least said,
"So, what should I do Charlie?" so I could have told him. ;-)

Old Colonel let me stutter and stammer a bit more and then sed, "Sit
down Charlie."

Then he said, "Charlie, I'm okay with what I said and done. I'm secure
in my stance. I know what I was doing and why. You're angry? Tough shit.
Go deal with it. It's your problem not mine. Figure out which one of
your jangling nerves it was that I hit and work on it. Also go tell that
*civil* *service* *slut* who advised you to come over here just to tell
me that you are pissed, that if she pulls that shit again she will be
back passing out piss bottles again in Urine testing 'stead of sitting
'hind a counselors desk."

I still din't like that shit. Didn't follow his advice. My special duty
assignment run out, I got re-enlisted, still had some drinking I
*wanted* to do and I did so on and off for 25 more years, even with old
Charlie Odems words ringing in my ears..

"Take the steps Charlie. Just take the fucken steps."

CC