New experiences have always been welcome in my recovery,,and this Program/Na has made certain I get new experiences whenever things are getting stale and I need new inspirations. Heres a strange story about a strange phenomenon. One cold ,lonely but serene evening I was walking back from college,up the hill and towards my lodge. As I passes some old buildings on this very deserted road,,,save for the houses,,, I chanced to look to the right and I saw a very large garden,a park min fact and there was a very large pillar at one end of it. I made a mental note to visit this place soon,which i did.
I have been to this place two times in my hoildays.. Great spot to sit and Meditate on the setting sun,,but theres more to it.; theres some fab woods down there to walk in but most interesting of all is the story of "springheel" Jack. And you know what ? Jack is a ghost. So,if you want to hear about this ghost,,read on.
Well,about 150 years or so ago there was an outbreak of cholera in Sheffield and many died. They cremated these bodies on this siute and few years later erected a memorial. The legend goes that one of em that died came back as a ghost,, a very mischievous one at that. "Springheel " Jack got that name because he could jump high walls,over peoples head etc.
They say that once when many people got tired of his antics and wanted to catch him, they did surround him,nigh on 150 of them but know what he did ? He took one hop,,then a step and a jump and ran right over the crowd,,on their heads !!! He kept up his mischief and hauntings for many years and then suddenly disappeared.
Old wives reckoned that he had just one wish as he died, to die at later age after enjoying life. So he came back as a ghost and presumably the appearances were his way of enjoying life. And when his deeds were done and he was tired,he laid himself to eternal rest.
But the story dosent end there; we hear tell of some visitors to the park ,,especially the late night lovers, complaining of a very strange looking old man peep at them from behind the trees and when challenged just disappeared. Many of them say it's old Jack returned to make more mischief. The local council steps into the act and do their bit,,but to no avail . citizens groups have been formed,albeit in vain. Local authority does not want to lose this valuable attraction to some ghsot. So the search still cariies on,,,,for that elusive character called "Springheel "Jack. There are rewards on offer for information,,and those offers dont say "WANTED ,,, DEAD OR ALIVE !!!!" hahahahaha !!
Great story Raman. I have 2 times in my life SEEN ghosts long storys with each but I know they exist and are real.
My girlfriend had to move out of her last house bout 6 months ago due to having a ghost that bothered her a great deal, she said it was an old man who like slappin her rear and pulling hair even sitting on the edge of her bed one afternoon while she took a rest she could even see and indentation where his hand and butt were resting, that one took the cake.
Ha,haha Vin,,krisssake,,hahaha !!!! Aw man,,folks may ask what this means in relation to 12 Steps and ill say " This sort of thing is bound to get a self-centred,self-conciious,self-consumed addict like me to look outwards !!!"
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Yes Vin,, and this one tme when a newcomer and i drove back from a meeting far away. We are on the road at nitght,,pitch dark and only te sound of my jeep engine to keep us company. Then it happens; we see a woman on the road shout to us to stop. By the time I brake we are 100 meters down the road. we look back to see er gesticulating wildly,,calling on us . what she was saying was in some weird language but I did reverse. Then what happened still makes my hair stand on edge,,,as we near her,,both the newcomer and I see her actually disappear into thin air. this newcomer after that did not speak for a ong time; bright part is e has stayed clean evenr since,,about 3 years now. Is this why this is called a SPIRIT-ual Program ?
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Eeeeeeeks haven't seen anything quite like that though Raman
What I did see once , I was working for a guy I was clean at the time too. Up on a ladder bout 8 feet against a empty house painting some trim and looking up , I was in front of a large window and kept noticing movements in the room of the window but every time I looked directly in the window I saw nothing, then one time I kept attention to my peripheral vision, looking slowly into the window I saw the upper part of a man walking across the room, saw his head very clearly but no lower body.
I freaked and got down off the ladder and went over to the man I was working for and described what I had seen , he knew the old man who had lived and died in the house, the man I described was the man who HAD LIVED THERE AND DIED IN THE HOUSE WOW !!
Spirits roam the earth for different reasons I think, some don't want to let go of something and end up staying spiritually after there deaths, I have even heard that some in houses often stay safe guarding treasures maybe. I think there memory's more then anything, attachments to life that people just can't let go of and hang onto in spirit keeps them behind and that is a very sad thing I think.
I swear Raman I have seen Chelsea my cat a few times run across my bedroom this has happened more then once, I have prayed for her to leave and go on to her heaven and since then I have not seen her, I thkn maybe I ME , was hanging onto her in spirit and she needs to be able to move on so I have let her go, I hope.
Well Vin,, My pa died that morning on the dialysis machine at age 74. He had lived a full life and was also with me all along in recovery.
That morning when they phoned and said to come quick, I took my time,i still dont know why i did not rush there.! When I got there,only a mile away,they said "Hes been dead for 10 minutes now". And I had a thought " Oh no,,it cant be". I was feeling very sad I wasnt there at the last moment, though the hospital had called me. I blamed myself for not caring enough. I was in shock but felt nothing till the funeral was over and I was alone again.
I suddenly realized Pa wasnt around anymore,,no more banter,discussions,petty quarrels and joys and sorrows shared.
Then it began,, him talking to me when I was asleep,being in the next room etc but the most vivid was one night wen he sat at the foot of my bed,smiling at me.I actually got up wanting to speak with him and ask ihm how he was and how sorry I was that I wasnt there at the final moment. He just kept simling tat fab smile of his,,as if to say "its allright son,,just hold on to your recovery and do the best you can for your little girl".
After that,my music career became a reality and I did many shows,stayed clean,looked after my little girl, cared for Ma,,got a good deal on the property Pa left us and all. I never saw Pa again in that time.
Then I decided to come and study in England. met,J did my studies,,visited te country,did NA meetings and Fellowship ,and then one night it happens again. Theres Pa,,in the room . I wake up to see him with that enquiring look as if to say " Thank goodness youre here, I was wondering what happened to you.When I came back to visit you the old house was gone, a grand new apartment is coming up there and i was wondering where you were. Then i followed ma back home to where they are living now and I heard her and Anji talk about you being in England,so I came to visit".
Its not strange that Pa located me, Im in no.77. Thats the first numbers of my old house,71 and 72. My house faces south here as it did there. It is a two storey one as it was there and its got a backyard like mine did there. Funny thing is I never conciously chose this house, the college accomodations showed me this place and I took one look and booked it.
How was I to know then that it had a common wall in the backyard with a funeral parlour ???? And now I got a black cat with green eyes to visit me each day for food !!! Many a time,when I need to get up at a certain time, finish a certain asignment in time or do some work requiring concentration< i can feel a Force guiding me along. Pa in the invisible form ? Is this why we call this a SPIRIT-ual Program ?
-- Edited by Raman on Friday 17th of April 2009 01:57:49 PM
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
Another new experience in recovery this weekend was attending the International Students Conference as a delegate from my university. Was a totally new experience and I di well on soem points and was ignorant waht to do on other issues. However it seemed a waste of tieme after all,,seemed each one there wanted to either be elected to some position or just wanting to vote for someone.
I wish I had realized this situationa and used it to my advantage,,I had to get just one preference vote to get onto the committee; just that this fact became clear only after the election. Anyways the Just for today says that sometimes we addicts are prone to claim rewards before even doing the hard labour for it !!! So yes,,I suppose all of this is a learning process.!!!
-- Edited by Raman on Sunday 19th of April 2009 09:49:44 AM
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
I am serene in the fcat that I did do my job of staying there,attending the proceedings and then having material for a full report,,,after all, that was the first reason for my being there !
-- Edited by Raman on Sunday 19th of April 2009 09:54:34 AM
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
so I have let her go, I hope.
