The Elixir of Air: Unguessed Gifts of Addiction

By Charles C. Finn

Addiction of one kind or another touches us all. Given its destructive course, it would seem an unequivocal curse to be lamented. The thrust of The Elixir of Air, however, is that it need not be. Addiction can in fact be a hidden blessing for what it forces us to face and change in our lives, for the spirit journey it rudely launches us on. Which is not to glamorize the searing pain experienced by addicts and their loved ones. Addiction''s gathering force is such that only searing pain can stop us in our tracks long enough to make possible a life transformation. We are in the presence here of the great mystery of death required for rebirth. Addressing addiction brings us to holy ground.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 23, 2005
• ISBN: 9781463472177

Charles C. Finn

Finn spent ten years in the Society of Jesus after graduating from high school in Cincinnati. With degrees in literature and psychology from Chicago’s Loyola University, he taught high school and then became a mental health counselor before relocating to Virginia with his wife in 1979. He lives near Fincastle with his family and commutes to nearby Roanoke where he is a licensed professional counselor. Among Finn’s writings is the internationally-known poem “Please Hear What I’m Not Saying.” His published works, which can be found on his website (www.poetrybycharlescfinn.com), include the following: Circle of Grace: In Praise of Months and Seasons Natural Highs: An Invitation to Wonder For the Mystically Inclined Contemplatively Sweet: Slow-Down Poems to Ponder Earthtalks: Conjectures on the Spirit Journey The Elixir of Air: Unguessed Gifts of Addiction Deep Joy, Steep Challenge: 365 Poems on Parenting Earth Brother Jesus: Musings Free of Dogma Embraced It Will Serve You: Encounters with Death If a Child, Why Not a Cosmos? Lovesongs to Earth and Evolution Fuel for War: Patriotic Entrancement Earth Pleasures: Pets, Plants, Trees and Rain Ithaca is the Journey: A Personal Odyssey Steppingstones to the Civil War: Slavery Integral to Each Aging Liberal Nostalgic for Vision Empathy is the Key: Toward a Civil War Healing Gentle Warrior John Yungblut: Guide on the Mystic’s Journey Full Heart Singing: Letters and Poems to a Girlchild The Mastery of the Thing! Transcendence in Counseling and Sports Crafting Soul into Words: a Poet Sings of the Journey Please Hear What I’m Not Saying: a Poem’s Reach Around the World John Yungblut: Passing the Mystical Torch (a Pendle Hill pamphlet) All of Finn’s writings relate to the spirit journey. His own has been grounded in Catholicism and nourished by Jesuit, Taoist, Native American, Creation-Centered, and Quaker spiritualities.

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This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

© 2005 Charles C. Finn. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 02/09/05

ISBN: 1-4208-1284-X (sc)

ISBN: 9781463472177 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

CONTENTS

Preface

1. Iron Boot Grinding: Addiction

Hard Word for Ugly Reality

Two Views on One Addicted

The Lie of Addiction

Competing Lures

Top Priority

Failed Intervention, Never

Alanon’s Aim

It’s Hard Not to Mourn

Searing Pain Within Joyous Cosmos

Only If Enough Hate

The Blessing of Guilt

Good and Wonderfully Hopeful

No Joy to Exceed

2. The View From Within

You Make It Sound So Easy

If Only I Can Sleep Tonight

The Closer I Get

Nothing Helps Like Spirituality

Savoring

3. Hell of a Place To Be—Entering Treatment

Fog Not Yet Lifted

Eastern Light

Advanced Lesson in Humility

Wishes Following a Relapse

4. Only Warriors Recover

Only Warriors Recover

Battle Lines Drawn

Wielding Sword, Enduring Tunnel

Shame Into Honor

Hats Off to My Friend

Under New Guise Ancient Quest

No Academic Affair

Gearing Up for Battle

5. The Counterpull of a Dream

If You’re Going to Make It

Two Things Necessary

Recovery’s Two Tasks

You Miss the Garden

Vision for the Young

Unicorn Tethered to a Tree

6. Feeding Hungers: Alcoholics Anonymous

Down to Basics

Workshop for Grieving

Mystics in Action

Convolutedly Hifalutin

Bradshaw in Defense

Feeding Three Hungers

Challenging Critique

Both Appreciation and Challenge

The Grace of a Flowering

Improbable Grace

7. Higher Than Drugs Can Take You

But Now Even Higher

Ah, the Elixir of Air

In Exchange for Ephemeral Escapes and Highs

Higher Even Than Chemicals

No Shortcut to Satori

The Way to Break an Addiction

Discovery

A Cosmic Task to Perform

Sports and Music Highs

When Half-Gods Go

Think of the Adventure Missed

Wide Mind, High Emotion, Deep Soul

Drunk on the Moon

A Sponsor to Lean On

Time Spent with Trees

Getting Grounded

Next to Which Nothing so Real

Unfiltered

8. Apples and Oranges—the Disease Concept

Apples and Oranges

Nobody’s Passing Around Cop-outs

On Misdiagnosing Addiction

Spare Us the Simplistic

9. Save the Condolences

Save the Condolences

Meaningful Happenstance

To Qualify For the Task

If Only They Reach Out

If It Works, Grab On

Tough Not Talking Shop

It’s Hard Not to Remember

More Than Just a Job

For Hearts to Come Home

Two Great Surges

10. Lighten Up, Dieters

As Much for Soul as Body

Lest Gift Turns Idol

It All Hangs Together

Musing on the Munchies

Yin and Yang at it Again

Time for a Swing Back to Yin

By God I’ll Plan for It

Diatetics Be Damned

Yech, Too Rich or Smooth Sweet Bliss

Lighten Up, Dieters

11. Drink Watchfully, Ye Who Drink

Tread Carefully Here

Don’t You Dare

Universal Ambiguity

Love Affair Down the Ages

Drink Watchfully, Ye Who Drink

12. Public Figures and Addiction

Fogging Affliction

He Gives No Indication

Something Mythic is Afoot

Charlie Hustle

Turn the Spotlight Within

Seldom an Innocent Bystander

An Issue Not to See

We Know Whom We’re Seeing

Dreaming

Though He Tries He Can’t Stop

13. On Society and Addiction

Sobering

On the Urgency of Intervention

Outrage Compounding Tragedy

On the Real Cause of Society’s Addictions

How Severe Must Be the Bottom?

14. Thank God for Addictions

Spirit Blessings

Don’t Knock Willpower

Change Yourself into Wine

Sneaky Wisdom