Fat Charlie's Diary


About Us About Me


I'm Jim Puckett.

I'm an recovered alcholic and compulsive overeater; that is the single most important fact about me.

It is also the one thing (or two things? depends on how you count, or how you define) that will
never change - no matter what. I can change my hair length or color (and I have) - my profession
or my geographical location or my marital status(and I have) - my habits, my religion, and my nickname
(and I have) - give me money and motivation and I could fly to Denmark and change my gender (haven't
done that one yet) - but whoever, wherever or whatever I am, I'll be an alcoholic and a compulsive overeater.

In fact, the way I choose to phrase it is, that is what I *am* - all of those other things (father, husband,
student, employee, Episcopalian, runner, Crimson Tide football fan) are roles, things that I do. I'm not a father,
I'm an alcoholic with kids; I'm not a husband, I'm an alcoholic with a wife; I'm not an employee, I'm an alcholic
with a job. I'm not a Crimson Tide fan; I'm an alcoholic who knows that the Tennessee game is gonna be
ugly. That's the pattern - I'm not that thing; I'm an alcoholic/compulsive overeater DOING that thing.

A few years back, I was standing in the lobby of our office building, and somebody walking over to me said
"Hey, Jim - aren't you a database programmer?" and - before I could answer - the receptionist said "No, he's
an alcoholic". So I suppose this pattern has been fairly well expressed :)

This keeps me mindful of my main job, which is practicing the Twelve Steps in all of my affairs. If I start thinking
that I'm a father or a husband, I'll think I'm supposed to be Ward Cleaver - and I'll fail utterly. If I start thinking that
I'm an employee, then I'll start thinking that I'm supposed to be climbing the corporate ladder or watching my
back; if I start thinking that I'm a runner, then I'll start thinking that I'm supposed to be fast. But if I'm just a drunk
doing these things, then I'll remember - "practice these principles in all of our affairs."

However, those other roles are a lot of fun (and a lot of work, and they take a lot of my time! :) and these pages
waste a lot of bandwidth talking about 'em.
















by Fat Charlie the Archangel 



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