anecdote 15 – A CANDLE IN THE DARK a touching anecdote about alcoholics
foodforthesoul – A CANDLE IN THE DARK a touching anecdote about alcoholics. – The Bowery in New York City was where homeless alcoholics wrapped in towels sleep in the icy sidewalk in winter. Deep in this hell-hole was a tiny heaven-hole, a soup kitchen giving free hot soup and bread. For Bowery residents, this spelled the difference between life – surviving for one more winter, and death – freezing from hunger. – It was a bizarre venue for zombies. Many talked to themselves. A few got up a table and made speeches, ignored by everyone. Once, the soup kettle tilted over due to a brawl and many had no food that day. An elderly man was knifed by an elderly lady for making a pass. – Tess, a big fat Irish ex-alcoholic of a woman, came in to become a volunteer. As a newcomer, she felt nervous. A notorious blabber mouth started insulting her every night. At first, she smiled and ignored him. One night, her Irish temper just came out. She went up to him and gave him a KO punch. Everyone was silent, shocked. Several toughies stood up and headed towards Tess. This must be his friends, Tess thought. She wanted to run, but decided to stand her ground. The toughies was not after her, mauling the guy to the delight of the screaming crowd. Tess broke the ice. From then on, everyone loved her. – Tess was the only woman volunteer who stayed. Others could not stand the sexual harassments. Tess had her way with men. Once, when someone touched her breast, she just gave him a hard slap, smiled, and told him to move on. It never happened again. Someone made lewd remarks. She said aloud, “God bless you, Charlie. Move on.” She took time to memorize every name. Charlie bowed his head in shame. It never happened again. As an ex-alcoholic, Tess knew that even zombies had a bit of an angel in them. You just have to let it come out. – A syndicate was cornering the soup by forcing others out of the line. Then they would go back for several servings. No one dared tell the volunteers. But from the corner of her eye, Tess saw the whole thing. She identified the syndicate members easily. One day she met all of them. She got a burly policeman beside her. After she read the list of their names and gave it to the policeman, she said, “Next time you corner the soup, you’re out of here, I mean forever. Clear?” There was no answer. “Okay, clear out and God bless you.” They left in silence and it never happened again. – On the way to the kitchen, Tess always met residents outside in the snow who offered her a swig of whisky. She never refused although she knew it was dangerous for an ex-alcoholic to take even a drop. So everyone considered her as one of them. – Realizing the kitchen was inducing violence and indifference, Tess devised the ‘partner system’. One can eat one’s soup only after one served a partner. One’s partner would be waiting at the table like a king. One can serve one’s self only after, and must eat with the partner. Next day, the server became the one served. Partners were rotated until everyone partnered with everyone. There were a few quarrels for those who hated their partners. Tess said a quarrel meant no soup for the two. So they started learning not to hated each other. Tess said, “In the absence of hate, there is only love.” – Once, Tess was in tears, saying she had just been mugged. That evening, when everyone had left, she found a paper bag with her name. It was full of nickels, dimes and quarters. There was a note – ‘to the queen of our kitchen’. Tears fell on the kitchen floor. – In no time, the kitchen was a home for bonding and sharing of derelicts. Violence waned and residents became less of zombies. They came not just for the soup but for the company. The noise became louder at lunch time. This was how the hell-hole became a heaven-hole. – one candle light can pierce the darkness and infect other candles until there is nothing but blinding light – there is a piece of heaven in every hell a tiny angel in every bum you just have to let it come out – the secret in instilling love is to first induce the absence of hate then everything just falls into place – eastwind – *********************************************************** – MOTHER IGNACIA HEALING MINISTRY www.sisterraquel.com eastwind@motherignaciahealngmnistry.com – FOR MORE INSPIRATIONAL MATERIALS, CLICK THE LINK BELOW – http://www.sisterraquel.com/2010/04/archive00-entire-ministry-library/ – GET INSPIRATIONAL MATERIALS AS THEY ARE POSTED, SUBSCRIBE – www.sisterraquel.com – FOR THE SICK, REQUEST FOR HEALING OIL. READ HISTORY – http://www.sisterraquel.com/2010/07/announcement7-disaster-messages-and-healing-oil-history/ – THE LORD REIGNS IN CYBERSPACE. THE LORD HEALS IN CYBERSPACE. – amdg –
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