"There is a story told here in Madrid many a time and oft about Pablo Picasso who spent so much time walking the streets of this magical city sitting on a café terrace off Gran Via watching the world go by. As he sat on this sunshine terrace, he was doodling on a napkin making random shapes and child-like figures with a set of pens. A woman sitting at the next table was in awe watching every pen stroke riveted by the speed of his movements across a small square. As he got up to leave, he crumpled up the napkin and the woman spoke. “Wait,” she said. “Can I have that napkin you were just drawing on? I'll pay for it.” “Sure,” Picasso replied. “Twenty thousand dollars.” The woman's head jolted back as if he had just flung a brick at her. “What? It took you two minutes to draw that.”
“No, ma'am,” Picasso said. “It took me over sixty years to draw this.” Picasso stuffed the napkin in his pocket and walked out of the café.
When you sit in a meeting and see the glorious face of a long-time sober person who seems to have it all, has that look of serenity you dream of, speaks wisdom beyond your comprehension; don't fool yourself that this was some magic trick that manifests in a puff of swirling smoke. No, they did not get a magic pill at some sage burning ritual at dawn, these people have made it here one decision at a time. In early sobriety, I would devour story after story of women who seemed to have it all figured out and think holy f*ck I will never be this serene about not drinking….
- Susan Christina - (daily email extract)
| AUGUS T 202 1 • HOL A SOB E R |
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online