Open Meeting

Haibun

Standing room only in the community room of a local church on a Friday night. A blonde in knee-high riding boots checks Facebook. The co-chair runs the business portion of the Open AA meeting. A smiling giant invites us to fill the last two chairs — in the first row.

The guest speaker takes the podium.

He wears a white, bushy mustache that hangs inches off his face. His eyes shine with a serenity I’ve seen on too few. He shares his story, which inspired me in two ways.

First, he defines resentment as a “re-experiencing of that which hurts us.” I understand that all too well. Second, the depth in which he needed to make his fourth step — a “fearless and searching moral inventory.”

He had to look at his past, but he had to do his third step — “make a decision to turn our will and life over to the care of God as we understand him” — before he did.

I need to do the same — and in the same order.

shifting in their chairs
walking through cigarette smoke
on our way out

more by FRANK J. TASSONE

photograph by Jacob Owens

The Writers Manifesto