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Feb. 11, 2006 It has been an unusually mild winter in West Virginia. There was a severe weather alert for the Super Bowl Weekend. Most of the locals were quite happy when that snow and ice storm bypassed West Virginia and went to Washington DC instead. Those Politicians in the United States Capitol need a cooling off . The weatherman was right on target this weekend. What the Heck!!! I've got propane in the tank and no place to go. Let it Snow! Let it Snow! I decided to take a picture of the snow on my web cam. I live right next door to an old black church from the Jim Crow Days. It has been converted to a storage building. I have always been fascinated by old historical places. I have put my hands on the building. I can feel and almost hear the singing that once filled that church. I think about the lives that have gone in and out of that church. Last month, I was at a Twelve Step meeting. I met a black woman who told me that she had been married in that church. It was exciting for me to finally meet someone whose life was connected to that church. It amazes me how West Virginia is right on the boarder of Ohio. Ohio is the cradle of the Twelve Step Community. A Yankee stockbroker and a Yankee doctor saved each other's lives and founded the Twelve Step Program that has saved the lives of countless Alcoholics and beyond. Yet when I moved to West Virginia, there were very few woman in recovery in this community. I was often in a meeting full of men. Some of the local bells felt so much shame that was easier to die by crawling back into that brown bottle flu than to seek help. But one woman at a time, lives are being saved and we are finally able to start the first women's group. There were almost no black folks but in the group but one by one they too are becoming a part of the Twelve Step Community. The first time, I tried to help a black woman. She didn't make it. She couldn't trust me. If she has any memories of the aftermath of Jim Crow Laws who can blame her. What the heck, some of the local folks are suspicion of me because of my Left Coast heritage. Recovery is precious not matter what color or gender a person is. I couldn't reach that woman any more than I could some of the shame filled local White Bells. The black woman who is connected to the church next to my house just made a year. She will be the guest speaker at my meeting next week. The woman has no idea what a living treasure, she is about to become in this community. She is going to be a vessel for the healing are restoration of countless broken lives. I feel blessed that the creator allowed me to gentle nudge her in the right direction and watch the miracle. More women in recovery black or otherwise. Woo Hoo! ------------ About the author: Bonijean Isaacs is a freelance writer and Astrologer in West Virginia. Email: inez4liberty@gmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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