There's A Hole In My Sidewalk

Here is a poem that I found when I first started my recovery through Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics classes. It is called "There's a hole in my sidewalk". The poem was written by Portia Nelson. Someone sent it to me again recently in an email. I thought it was appropriate to share here because it so accurately describes the beginning of my recovery process. It is a simple poem that says so much about a victim's choices and the beginning of recovery.

There's a hole in my sidewalk by Portia Nelson

Chapter One
I walk down the street
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in
I'm lost. . . I'm helpless
It isn't my fault
It takes me forever to find a way out

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I don't see it
I fall in again
I can't believe I'm in the same place
But it isn't my fault
It still takes a long time to get out

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it there
I still fall in. . . it's a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault
I get out immediately

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street
There's a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it

Chapter 5
I walk down another street



Being a victim, I had no idea that I had choices. As a survivor, I started making choices. Discovering that I had choices gave me control of my life. I could walk down another street. This awareness of choices is the beginning of recovery. Without awareness there can be no change.