THE CHICKEN COOP STORY

 

It was a hot day in mid-summer as my wife and I were coming home from the store.

As we were living in this wonderful world of alcoholism, and disfunctionality, there was a heated argument in the car, on the way home.

 

At this time I have about 1 year and a half of sobriety under my belt.

Every week I am attending the meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in our little town of Walworth.

I choose this group as my home group as It’s the only one I can get to independently, as I am totally, physically blind.

 

Every Tuesday night, I would be there early to make sure that the meeting had coffee made and help set up the table and chairs.

 

This is a very important setting as it helped save my life, and contributed to my recovery of our dreaded disease.

 

This story is, in part, to do with this particular AA meeting.

 

Besides greeting, coffee making, and helping set up the meeting every Tuesday night, I wanted more, just like any good alcoholic.

 

From time to time, I would help pass out the readings for selected members to read such as “how it works”, “12 steps”, and so on.

 

I had done about every job at my home group except, to be able to read the material passed out prior to the start of the meeting.

So, having the “Big Book” on tape, I got my tape player out, placed it in the middle of chapter 5, set it next to our typewriter, and started listening and typing the 12 steps, over, over, and over again.

I figured that this would be the best way to memorize these 12 steps, so, the next time someone would ask me, as a joke, to read one of the readings, I could say, “sure, give me the 12 steps and I’ll read them”.

At this time, I had plenty of practice in, but I hadn’t had the opportunity as of yet.

 

Well, now back to the heated car ride home.

We were both angry, over whatever it was in the car that day.

We pulled all the way up to the barn, got out and almost slammed the doors.

She went in the house, quite a distance away, I went to feed and water the chickens.

 

We had 20 chickens, 12 black, and 8 white.

In a coop about, 10 by 10 in size.

In front of the coop there was a little door opening, just big enough for a chicken to fit through.

This opening went out to an enclosed fence made of chicken wire about the same size of the coop.

 

I opened the big door quickly and rushed in quickly with the water and feed so that the chickens would not escape.

Slamming this door, I had forgot that I had installed a new hasp the day before.

This hasp swung shut as I slammed the door, unbeknownst to me.

 

Weaving through the chickens, trying to avoid getting pecked, with shorts and sandals on, I was successful with watering and feeding the chickens.

When the chickens went to eat, I went to leave.

Trying to open the door, this is when I made the big discovery.

I suddenly realized that I was trapped.

I proceeded to start the beckoning to my wife.

Soon I realized also, that this was futile as the house was so far away.

I started learning things very rapidly at this point.

 

The first major lesson I learned was surrender as I turned to look at these chickens.

I had very very little sight at this point.  I could only make out shapes of things moving.

But, in my imagination, I could see all of them staring at me.

The next thing I learned was the true meaning of the serenity prayer, as I sat down on a bail of hay, placing another bail in front of my legs so the chickens would not start pecking at them.

 

Some time had passed as I’m sure that she could care less about what I was doing, being mad at me already.

So, in my boredom, I started reciting the serenity prayer to these chickens.

They didn’t seem to care too much, but after saying it a few times, in my surrender, things seemed to look a bit different.

I suddenly realized that I wasn’t going to be in here for always, that I do have water if I need it, and that I will have eggs for morning.

 

Well, at this moment, I realized, I could be in here for a while.

So, to make the most of this opportunity, I decided to practice reading out loud the 12 steps to these chickens.

 

With the chicken’s full attention, I started reading the 12 steps.

I got through them all, a couple of times, but at some of the steps, they balked.

I think these chicken were alcoholic chickens due to their reaction.

 

It wasn’t very long after this that my brother saved the day.

Ken had called, asking for me so my wife needed to seek me out for this phone call.

Though I never found out for sure, but I think she was really happy that I was locked up for a little while.  I’m sure she was smiling all the way to the house.