Memories and Stories

Recently we randomly approached those who frequently visit the XII Step Club and asked.

"What does the XII Step Club mean to them."

These were the anwsers given:

"I call it home." Brandon B.

"Place that saved my life." Kelly K.

"In one word LIFE." Steff L.

"Safety." Tommy

"Place for recovery, before we know what recovery means." M.S.

"Place to help others." John D.

"Nice place to go to be with clean and sober friends." Charles S.

"Safe place to go to have fun with friends." Steve D.

"Recovery." George R.

"Safe place to hang out." Johnny B.

"Freedom from my old ways." Gary

My name is Carl B. and I'm an alcolholic addict. This is a story of my journey that day I first walked through the doors of the XII Step Club of Lewis County. On April 1^st 2003, I found myself taking a journey to Centralia Washington. This trip was a very interesting one to say the least. At the time, I was living in Port Orchard, Washington and was one year clean and sober to the day. Being April fools day I was blessed with humor to help me stay sober.   On this day of my first A.A. birthday, I had received a call from my daughter who lived in Centralia, Washington a distance of 75 miles to the south from Port Orchard.

This is what she told me “Dad” she said, “Today’s the day that the doctor is going to do a c-section and please come ASAP to Providence Centralia”. As you know during the first years of recovery, our lives might seem to be working but are still under repair, and yes mine was no different. My car didn’t work and there were no buses from Key Peninsula to Tacoma.   Usually I would take the ferry to Seattle and would catch a southbound bus. But this day things went differently. I found my way to the Tacoma bus depot only to find I had missed the bus and had to wait for two hours to take the next one. Well, some how being a train buff I found myself over at the train office of the BNSF Track Master for all trains leaving Tacoma. This is something I would do from time to time.

We found ourselves talking about people places and things, only this day I was going to be a grandfather. To my amazement, the Track Master suddenly said, “Hurry, there was a freight headed southbound and the crew of this BNSF southbound was to stop in Centralia."   With just seconds to decide, I climb on aboard, told only to stay out of sight and out of the way. So, feeling filled with the marvel of the gift placed before me, I was southbound headed to Providence Hospital to see my daughter. With only a few seconds completely at stop, I departed the train from the opposite side of the train depot so that the gift of travel was just between the crew and me. It was now about 1:30, some five hours since my daughter’s call. I was not familiar with the state-of-the-art bus system that was at my beck call, and so I started to walk to the hospital. When I past under the freeway, the bus from Tacoma just arrived at the light. I thought of my ride on the train and how that in itself was special, unknowing of the blessing that I would experience this day. Still I felt the wonder of the journey before me.

My appearance to the maternity delivery area of the hospital was nothing short of amazing, as I was sent to my daughters room just in time to kiss and say I loved her and how proud I was to share this moment with her. Well about 30 minutes later I was asked to follow the nurse and to put on a set of their surgical clothing. With in minutes I was holding Emily Marrie my first grand daughter, in my arms. I shortly realized because I was clean and sober I was able to be part of this special moment in their lives. Soon, my internal meeting alarm clock to start my quest to find an A.A. meeting. Although having previously lived in the Lewis County area I had no interest in finding some place called the XII Step Club down on North Tower. So I started to walk toward town, or should I say floated toward town. I walked past it twice until someone noticed me walking by in search of something. With out knowing how the path through those doors would lead me into this wonderful place that would unknowingly be my home years later down my journey of recovery. But this night there was something different, even to me a new comer to the program, and most definitely to this place that looked like a bar with meeting rooms.

There was an A.A. meeting about to start so I joined the group taking a seat that was open. The room filled slowly with people who were strangers to me as I was to them. It seemed to be a much focused meeting to have just walked into. As I was just about to get up to return to see my daughter (walk out to be honest) they called out was there any visitors from out of the area? My hand went up and for the first time I said my name is Carl and I was from Port Orchard. Soon I heard, "Is anyone celebrating a birthday during the month of April?" Again, I found myself saying my name, only proudly proclaimed my first year of being clean and sober. Then the moment approach as the chairperson asked me to share my story of my first year. I was sharing my journey down the path my day had given.   I was able to see how something that I had no control in had come together, showing me how my journey’s course place me exactly where I needed to be. I was able to realize what others during the prior year had talked about.

It change the way I viewed things, and gratitude seemed to over flow from a spiritual awakening. This is what was happening around me. I had something that could be felt by others. Even though I was a stranger I felt understood. That 1^st day of April, 2003, was not the only special memory of the XII Step Club, but to me it is the most wonderful one, as so many first things happened that day. I was blessed by my higher power, and at that exact moment each breath that God allowed me to have was like nothing I had ever felt prior to that day. Each day since has been a day I would have never had if the XII STEP CLUB was not there that night. Thank you, XII Step Club members- past, present and future.

This page is for those who wish to share a special time or moment at the XII Step Club of Lewis County. We welcome your story and would love to share it. Please send it to CarlB@12stepcluboflc.org or mail it to The XII Step Club 2100 N National Ave #108 Chehalis, Washington 98532