Temperance Poster from the late 1800's,

Ah, the battle of the bottle, or the bulge, or the one-armed bandit, or  . . .  

I've been in recovery for over 15 years and I have the privilege of living in a state that is one of the most recovery-friendly in the nation.  We've got treatment centers, like Hazelden, which have served addicts from around the country.  There is a huge community of grateful folks in recovery from alcohol, drugs, over-eating, co-dependency, shopping, gambling - oh gosh, all kinds of things that we recovered from by belonging to a group and supporting one another.  It's a program of we.

The former John Washburn Family Estate on 1st Avenue South in Minneapolis, now affectionately referred to as simply 2218, could just as well be the address of a hospital, for all the lives it has saved.  My friend, Angie, and I heard there were going to be some old-timers speaking there one Saturday afternoon recently, so we slid into the back row at the meeting to hear their stories.  We started to understand that the twelve-step program didn't start out on an even keel and it took a lot of mis-steps and give and take before it became the model of recovery it is today.

I didn't really know what to expect, but you can imagine our delight when we found that areas of this grand old home have been preserved and retain the luster of a by-gone era.  Now you're talking.

A portrait B. Patrick Cronin, one of the founders of the Alano Society 

I stood in awe, soaking up the spirit of 2218, thanking my Higher Power for providing a place where flawed individuals like myself can learn coping skills and experience enormous spiritual growth by following the examples of others.   My biggest lesson from the twelve steps?  Oh, I don't know.  Maybe that other people think my blunders are pretty funny, and sharing them can get a good laugh.  And,  I'll never have to worry about running out of material!  Click here for information about recovery in Minnesota.