The Bright Spot of Our Lives

My name is Michael and I'm a twenty-two-year-old alcoholic with five years of recovery from alcoholism. I'm currently serving in the United States Air Force as a security policeman stationed in Panama. In December, my squadron had to respond to a riot at the camps where migrants from a Caribbean country had been housed. As we arrived, I saw a few vehicles crashed into each other, GIs hurt, and people trying to bring order out of all the chaos. Not claiming to be superman anymore, I had fear. But I said my prayers--one for protection and the other for guidance. Then I saw another member of AA. I'd seen him only once before in one of the two English-speaking meetings down here and really liked what he said. Down here in Panama, we in AA don't get many visitors and when we do, I try to pick their brains. I saw the man walk by a few more times, and finally, when we had a minute to rest, I approached him. "Sir," I said (he's a major and I'm enlisted), "I don't know if you remember me but I'm a friend of Bill W." His eyes lit up and he had a great big smile on his face, and he said, "My name is Bill. It's so good to see you. You've made my day! Don't you think everyone could use a meeting about now?" I smiled in agreement. I believe it says in the Big Book that "contact with others will be the bright spot of our lives."