After reading J. Ruth Gendler's Book of Qualities, I thought about what the 12 Steps, which I teach regularly, would be like if they were characters. Let me know what you think.
The 12 Steps as Characters
One crawls onto the stage, shirt torn,
mud under fingernails, thirsty and in need of a haircut. He’s been alone so
long that human touch is an immediate balm. He eats and rests so deeply the
restoration seems miraculous. He’s
actually been wanting this for some time.
Two walks barefoot across a lush grassy
yard, tentative at first, with head up, amazed at the sunshine and blooming
flowers. She’s curious, her heart is tender, and she holds the hand of a wise
elder, a stranger perhaps, who already loves her.
Three is a student who buckles down to study.
While always smart, he realizes this time he has to do things in order, and that
people can see through his glib responses. To get where he wants to be, he’ll
have to be more disciplined than ever and work with a level of consistency that
will be challenging. He decides to give it a try.
Four is a savvy businesswoman who sees
clutter and doesn’t look away. She’s pulled everything out of the junk drawer
then tosses some items in the trash and finds the proper place for the rest.
When she’s finished, she takes a deep breath, the first one in years that truly
feels free.
Five is on his way home from school and
doesn’t yet know a plate of cookies and a listening ear await him. He bursts through the door ready to share
some details, reluctant to tell other stories, but because the kind person
waiting is eager to hear it all, he tells it all.
Six is a middle school girl alone with
the door closed standing before a mirror. She’s happy with her eyes, mortified
by her nose, yet sees it all clearly--the blemishes and circles she tries
to hide from the world. She remembers her friends are envious of her hair and
smiles.
Seven is a baseball player ready to be
coached. He has a pretty good pitch and swing but it could be even better and
he needs help to get there. He signs up for lessons, shows up on time, and
faithfully practices because he believes he can improve, with help.
Eight is a mother about to see her son get
married. She reviews their years together and wonders about some of the
moments—was she selfish? Did she push him too hard? Did she encourage her young
man’s emotional intelligence or worry about him fitting in? There’s not a
moment she’s forgotten, and she takes out each memory to see it from a new
light, the perspective of letting it go in order to see who he is today.
Nine is a police officer who used too
much force in his last interaction and needs to go back into the community to
make it right. He gets out of the car and walks the neighborhoods without a
gun, listening to people’s stories, receiving their complaints, and asking what
he can do to restore trust and right relationship. He’s open, non-defensive and
ready to learn and grow.
Ten is a night nurse, intuitive,
wide-awake, and wise. As she does her rounds, she pays attention to anything
out of the ordinary—sounds, movements, irregular breath--and then moves without
hesitation to make the necessary adjustments to return things to optional
operation. She’s good at this because
she’s experienced and never cuts corners.
Eleven is a farmer who daily puts her hands
into the dirt, welcomes the rain, and turns like a plant towards the sun. She
greets the wind, the grain moving, and the brook through her
property as friends. When she learns what needs to happen next, she doesn’t hesitate
to do it. This life depends on her listening and acting in alignment.
Twelve is a troop of boy scouts
volunteering at a soup kitchen. They arrive smiling and do whatever is asked of
them. They do the work with happy hearts because they are having fun together.
Their laughter and occasional singing fills the shelter with light and soon
everyone else is smiling. They’re eager to come back next week.
JoAnn Campbell-Rice, May 2017
