In the book of Nehemiah, we read: “Then I sent to him a message saying, “No such things as you say have been done; you are inventing them out of your own mind.” How often have we told another, or we have been told, “That’s all in your imagination.” To addicts, practicing or in recover, imagination can be a blessing or a curse.

I answered the door knowing that it was a police officer bringing in a teenage girl whom he had picked up around two a.m. She was high and reeked of cheap beer. From experience, I knew I got more information from the kids at this hour of the morning if I cooked a hamburger than just sit and fill out paperwork. She told me she had taken a fifth of whiskey to a party of underage youth. Prior to leaving home, she ground up a handful of pills she found in the medicine cabinet. “Why did you do that?” “I just wanted to see what would happen.”

I remember those days. “If this makes me feel good. How much better would I feel if I had another, and another.” The first night I drank alcohol, I was in my early twenties. I poured myself drinks from every bottle on the table and paid the physical, emotional. and spiritual price for it. This is what happens when our imagination runs wild. A sniff of amyl nitrate and one may begin to imagine how much better it would feel “if we had a few young women around.”

The gift of the imagination brought about much inhuman history from creating a spade, a wheel, a motor, wings, flying in space, flying cars, drones. Most of these are used for the good of the community. Unfortunately, there are those whose anger and hatred will turn these into weapons of war and destruction The imagination has created some wonderful meals and spices to go with them. The imagination has brought about a revolution in clothing, art, movies, etc.

Not all companies appreciate those employees whose imagination goes beyond the status quo. The church encourages one to use their imagination to celebrate the liturgy provided the liturgist stays within certain bounds and sticks with the prescribed texts.

“What would this swirl look like if I breathed life into it?’ asked God of Herself once. Her Spirit breathed, the swirl moved, light came from darkness, gases exploded, rocks flew into the nothingness creating space and the dormant seeds began to evolve to become what they were meant to be and become. [and after twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness, God said to herself, “I’ll call it a day.”]

In his song, “IMAGINE,” John Lennon invites us to imagine - No heaven or hell, people living one day at a time; No countries, no religion, no possessions, no greed or hunger and nothing to kill for; humanity living in peace – a brother/sisterhood of humanity.

In this song Lennon admits he will be called a dreamer; he knows he is not alone, and we are invited to dream the impossible dream of humanity living in peace. God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

My imagination went dark and empty as I stood at the door of my boss’s office- “I think I have a drinking problem,” I said, and stated I would never drink again. “Why could I not have waited till Monday” I thought later on. Perhaps my Higher Power was preventing me from another weekend drinking spree.

I threw myself wholeheartedly into the program in order to look good. My imagination had me climbing the corporate ladder as I continued to do over and above what I was asked to do -- except get sober. I stayed on an extended dry drunk.

I think I am afraid of my imagination. I don’t want to be disappointed or disappoint. Never did I imagine myself with a D. Min., never did I imagine myself with two books published (one just arrived today.) And yet, I imagine a novel (finished), a set of short stories for my grandkids (almost finished), a drawer filled with what might pass for poetry. I never imagined myself conducting retreats for those of us in recovery and yet it has happened.

The wonder- full thing about the above (and I may be bragging a little) is that I remember writing it; I remember sharing it with a friend; I remember my nervousness. As long as I stay sober, I can imagine a world filled with wonder. that may or may not become a reality. It’s ok to imagine and take it one day at a time.

Séamus D. Greater New Orleans.