Sobriety is a long and short game.

An AA sister shared, “We must be relieved of the bondage of time … pass.”

Her brevity caught everyone by surprise. It was a moment before the next fellow shared.

The silence invited thought.

And the more I thought about her short share, the larger it became.

We were at an AA meeting; the topic was spiritual growth and the bondage of self. This idea of the bondage of time came out of the blue.

But when I thought about it, it fit perfectly.

In all its dimensions, sobriety requires release from the bondage of time.

It starts with abstinence, a short game in that we live sober one day at a time. Especially in the early days, many of us hang onto, ‘I just won’t drink today.’ That mantra relieves us from the bondage of time; we ignore the years ahead. Repeating ‘just for today’ relieves the tension and pressure of contemplating a life of not drinking.

Abstinence is a short game, but sobriety is a long game. We can be sober forever. The days pile up, and soon we have a year. The years pile up, and soon we have a decade. Again, we are relieved from the bondage of time. Unaware of the passage of time, we develop a life of abstinence.

And there was more. With a life of abstinence, we can apply the principles of the Program in all our affairs and experience increased Emotional Sobriety, the ability to meet all conditions and people with poise and equanimity. In my experience, when I possess these traits, I am not mindful of time. Poised and equanimous, I am unaware and unconscious of time. I am relieved of the bondage of time; I am in a state of ‘flow.’

On the other hand, I am anxious and afraid when I feel short of time. And if someone is wasting time, I feel irritated and angry. Awareness of time is contra-serene.

But most importantly, character development, a promise of the twelve steps, is a patient grind. Character building takes time and patience. Again, to be relieved of the bondage of time is apropos.

It was an outstanding share. And not merely because it was short.