I have recently retired from my job of 20 and a half years, and am looking forward to the next adventure. I will be going back to school and getting another job after the first of the year. It will be some thing totally different from what I have done so far.
I have a question to put out there and see what I get back. I have always valued the advise I get here and I guess that's why I am bringing this question here.
Say you are in Jail and you are going to an AA meeting. You walk through the door and there sits an ex-law enforcement person there to help chair the meeting. Are you offended.
).
. Never mind...if ya didn't get it. I was a cell guard for the local police station for a year and a half. Now...I walk into a meeting room, & there are "familiar faces"...last time I saw them, all wired up & on their way to prison. Times' past & done for them, some out for good, some on parole/probation.. what are my thoughts? They're in the right place. My prayers are w/ them & I hope this program works for them. I pass my experience, strength & hope. What was a little alarming was, to be called in to work & there--a member of 15 years... picked up for drunk driving??? 
My heart just sunk. This case was a little different. Do I think anything less of him? Absolutely not. Do I go out & blab to the group, "guess who I saw in jail?" Also, absolutely not. Lucky for him, it was me on shift...in the sense that here was someone who understands. Not supposed to talk to the inmates, this time, I opened the slot & was willing to listen. He poured out his heart. I asked him if he wanted the BB, he did. He'd been struggling/drinking for a number of months...I had no idea..even saw him at meetings, none the wiser. One of the things he said to me was: I'll bet you sure think I'm low & disgusting. I said, no, I think you're an alcoholic...what do you think? This guy had 17 years, so I sensed a certainty that I could speak a little more bluntly than if he'd never been inside an AA room in his life. He took a deep breath & said, I can't believe I forgot that. He said his name, & said he was an alcoholic. I told him my name, & that I was an alcoholic. I told him not to worry about where he was...God put him in a safe place for the night, admittedly, it's not the Royal Hilton, but for that night, he was safe. Instead of reading, he wanted to sleep. Of course, the next morning, he was released...he asked the officer if he'd be allowed to have a smoke while he waited for his wife to come pick him up. Officer said there were no cigarettes in his affects...that was okay...I would give him one if he (the officer) didn't mind, cuz it'd be the officer who took him outside for a smoke. Officer had no problems. Thing of it is...every once in a while today...that member never forgot the compassion. I never once said anything to anyone in the program, for that's not my place to do so--but he has. He's been back in the program for 2 years now, on different footing than before.