Eskimos

My sponsor has a name for them--Eskimos. They are the people God sends to take care of you when you are at that jumping off point--ready to drink, use or just in a mess. God's angels in human form. Today, I was an Eskimo.

I flew in from Ft. Lauderdale last night and rather than driving home, I decided to stay in Phoenix and catch a 9 a.m. meeting that my first sponsor, who now has 36 years, always attends. Sure enough, she was there, and we had a great time catching up. It was a stick meeting, where each person takes a stick with a topic on it and shares. It was a good meeting and I left, as I almost always do after a meeting, in great spirits.

I was driving up the 1-17 and just as I passed Black Canyon City, I noticed a late-model green car weaving up the road in front of me. The driver would slow to 60, weave a bit, speed up to 80, weave more, slow to 60, you get the picture. I and the other drivers around her, when she slowed again to 60, were signaling to each other and rolling down windows to say "Watch out," and "I called 911." There was a state trooper behind us who had pulled over a school bus, so I figured it wouldn't take long for him to catch up to her.

I didn't want to pass her for my own safety, but as I came up to the Crown King exit, she pulled over. I could see her clearly--she was about my age and alone. I pulled over in front of her and walked back to her car. She was talking to her mother on her cell phone and crying. She hung up and looked at me through bloodshot eyes. "What's up?" I said. I could smell the liquor through the open window.

"Nothing, why?" she asked.

"Because you're all over the road and the highway patrol have been called."

She had a dozen excuses, one running into another, about why she was weaving--she was tired, she got up too early, she was upset--we all know the taradiddle.

I asked her where her mother was and she said Prescott. "Well, it just so happens that I'm going to Prescott so can I give you a lift? Just lock up your car, the police give you 24 hours to move it, and I'll drop you at your mom's." I was shocked when she agreed.

It took her a few minutes to collect everything, but we put her suitcase in my car and off we went. I told her I had just left an AA meeting and that I used to drink heavily. I never asked her if she'd been drinking, or if she had a problem, I just shared a bit of my story and told her how grateful I was that she let me give her a ride so that I didn't have to make the rest of the trip alone. And I listened. I listened to her excuses for the chaos in her life: the insanity of being married to one man but living with another, of the death of her father, how much she loved her mother and more. I was overcome with gratitude.

I dropped her at her mother's, a friendly woman whom I liked right away. She was very concerned. She took me aside and asked me what had happened. I told her that her daughter was all over the road and I was concerned so when she pulled over I stopped and offered her a ride. I didn't say much more, but gave her my phone number and invited them out to my house if they felt so inclined. If she calls me, I'll mention Alanon.

We all know there are no coincidences. God put Eskimos in my path more than once and for that I am eternally grateful. Maybe today's event is just what she needs to take a look at her drinking. Or maybe not. Maybe a DUI would have been the kicker. I just knew the right thing to do at that moment in time was to get her off the road before she hurt herself or others.

I also know this--I stayed sober today.