Welcome to my garden

    This picture was taken about a month before my doctor discovered that I had a meningioma, (brain tumor). This is just the latest "news" that my higher power had laid on me in my 24th year of sobriety. Thankfully, I know that nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in this world by mistake. I've been writing a book for the past four years about the loss of my son Matty after a valiant fight with leukemia and the grief that follows. I've always said that, "Someday, I'm going to get that book done." But life as I know it gets in the way. Full time job as a heavy equipment operator, two kids in high school, and a very busy wife, keep me busy! Well the time has presented itself.
    At first, right after surgery, my brain was mush. I mean my thinking was really mush. You don't realize it until it happens to you but the brain is very, very important. Maybe I just always took it for granted but did you know how important our brains are? It controls EVERYTHING! The nice thing is that the area where they cut out brain tissue and blood vessels to get rid of the tumor has allowed me to be able to communicate with people in this format. It's taken three months to get to this point but the doc says I should be back to my old self in about a year to a year and a half. In my mind, before surgery, I thought, six to eight weeks and I'll be back to work! I really don't know what I was thinking. I never finished my PHD. Heck, I never finished my second year of college but the parties sure were fun.
    Anyway, this is my garden that I hope to get back to in the spring as well as my bike riding and the rest that life has to offer. Are you taking time to smell the roses?

Welcome to my meeting on line. I'd like to introduce myself, I'm an alcoholic and my name is Matt. I introduce myself as an alkie first because if that problem is not addressed first than I can't be a husband, a father, an employee, a son, a friend, and an example of a responsible, productive member of society amongst other things. The topic for this weeks conversation is/are introductions. Who are you? Where are you? I'm in NJ. After that, then we can get to the stories.