Today I had lunch and a meeting with a friend I have known for 10+ years. Lunch was at a "taco trailer" parked outside of the Starbucks HQ in South Seattle. Had a chorizo chicken cheese sandwich that was delicious with an exquisite hot smoky red salsa. Went to a 40-minute meeting in the Starbucks building.
It was an amazing office building setup in what had formerly been occupied by Sears Roebuck going back to the 1930s. They had a wonderful collection of pictures of Seattle going back 100 years on the wall outside the upscale cafeteria. There was childcare for child at least as young as 18 months. The toddlers were walked around on a rope with a sort of elastic handcuff on their left hand. They were very cute walking around outside all bundled up for a damp day in Seattle.
My friend has been going to 12-step meetings for 15 years and now has 5 days of sobriety. I rarely see people in such intense emotional pain. Bought him lunch, took him to a meeting, bought him a pack of cigarettes and then gave him a ride home to his parents house. Thanks to the miracle of my recovery, I was able to be there for him as a good friend and also not have to adopt his pain as if it were mine.
Went to prison tonight. Mark had 33 years today. He is an extremely admirable man with a well-balanced happy life with the wife, kids, small construction business, catholic church and recovery. He was the first of seven siblings to get sober.
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