Frey, Oprah, The Smoking Gun and other things in my life
Good Morning everyone...(like a lot of people read this blog)....
At anyrate we have hot breaking news on the internet this morning. It seems a guy named Frey wrote a book. Oprah read the book, liked it and added it to her "must read list" or something or other. I guess recently, notice I typed "guess", because I don't know the actual time line of events. Anyway.....apparently sometime this week a web site called "The Smoking Gun"(how appropriate) revealed that it had uncovered certain passes in the book that the author Mr. Frey took liberties with or embellished on. Events in his life that I guess lead up to his recovery from drug addiction and alcohol addiction. Hey...if the guy is sober and remains sober...I say bravo for him. I'm a recovering alcoholic myself. Now I can't tell from reading a printed page as to who is telling the truth, or who isn't. Oprah according to online news reports stands by the book. Her take on it is....well....what author doesn't take liberties when writing their personal memoirs. Gee I wonder if she took liberties when she wrote her book. The publishing company also is standing by the book, they more or less claimed that they published it on its face value and the word of the author.
Now.....my point is......being a recovering alcoholic......I had to learn that in order to stay sober I had to be brutally honest with myself and others in regards to my alcoholism. I had to be accountable to myself and others, admitting that I had done wrong and make amends where I could...regardless of what the people I was making amends to, did with my attempt.
That said, the problem I have with this whole thing is that many, many people are easily dismissing the fact that this guy is describing what he did in his addictions, and what took place to get him to where he is today. Now if it is true, like he claims , this is fine. If it isn't true, the guy is undermining the whole premise behind 12 step programs and the road to recovery. Thats why in the 12 step programs we have sponsors to show us the way, and if the sponsor is good, the sponsee will hopefully learn from this person and work his or her program and continue on the path of sobriety.
If this guy Frey wrote the book with good intentions, hoping that him sharing his story with others will help other addicts fine. However, if Freys story is contrived, embellished, exaggerated, whatever....then he is not being honest to himself or others and no matter what his story is.... The point is moot! OK...thats one of my points.
What disturbs me is Oprahs complacent attitude about the whole thing.....I mean this woman passes her self off as the savior of the underdog, and she indeed has been. Although to take such a cavalier attitude about a book SHE picked for HER book list that may contain false or contrived occurences to proove a point of attaining sobriety....she needs to take a session with Dr. Phil....common lady get real.
Take a look around these days.....a serious number of politicians in Washington got caught with their hands on illegal gotten gains in the form of Jack Abramoff. So now they are all rushing to donate the ill gotten gains to charity. Excuse me? Lets see, now how does this make it OK? I mean really.....how does donating illegal funds from a lobbyist to charity excuse anything? It doesn't......but the politicians in Washington would have us believe that it does, it makes it all right.
Oprah thinks along the same lines. Just because Frey in his book projects a positive enlightened image, and he is now sober, it doesn't matter that parts of his book may be fabricated, he is still going to help people, and yes folks....he will probably make millions on the book. Maybe if he donates some of it to charity, it will make it all right. Now if it is learned that he didn't fabricate any of his book, then I guess I'll have egg on my face.....all the way to my ass......
To paraphrase a great news reporter:
Good afternoon and Good luck
L8TR
Chris
At anyrate we have hot breaking news on the internet this morning. It seems a guy named Frey wrote a book. Oprah read the book, liked it and added it to her "must read list" or something or other. I guess recently, notice I typed "guess", because I don't know the actual time line of events. Anyway.....apparently sometime this week a web site called "The Smoking Gun"(how appropriate) revealed that it had uncovered certain passes in the book that the author Mr. Frey took liberties with or embellished on. Events in his life that I guess lead up to his recovery from drug addiction and alcohol addiction. Hey...if the guy is sober and remains sober...I say bravo for him. I'm a recovering alcoholic myself. Now I can't tell from reading a printed page as to who is telling the truth, or who isn't. Oprah according to online news reports stands by the book. Her take on it is....well....what author doesn't take liberties when writing their personal memoirs. Gee I wonder if she took liberties when she wrote her book. The publishing company also is standing by the book, they more or less claimed that they published it on its face value and the word of the author.
Now.....my point is......being a recovering alcoholic......I had to learn that in order to stay sober I had to be brutally honest with myself and others in regards to my alcoholism. I had to be accountable to myself and others, admitting that I had done wrong and make amends where I could...regardless of what the people I was making amends to, did with my attempt.
That said, the problem I have with this whole thing is that many, many people are easily dismissing the fact that this guy is describing what he did in his addictions, and what took place to get him to where he is today. Now if it is true, like he claims , this is fine. If it isn't true, the guy is undermining the whole premise behind 12 step programs and the road to recovery. Thats why in the 12 step programs we have sponsors to show us the way, and if the sponsor is good, the sponsee will hopefully learn from this person and work his or her program and continue on the path of sobriety.
If this guy Frey wrote the book with good intentions, hoping that him sharing his story with others will help other addicts fine. However, if Freys story is contrived, embellished, exaggerated, whatever....then he is not being honest to himself or others and no matter what his story is.... The point is moot! OK...thats one of my points.
What disturbs me is Oprahs complacent attitude about the whole thing.....I mean this woman passes her self off as the savior of the underdog, and she indeed has been. Although to take such a cavalier attitude about a book SHE picked for HER book list that may contain false or contrived occurences to proove a point of attaining sobriety....she needs to take a session with Dr. Phil....common lady get real.
Take a look around these days.....a serious number of politicians in Washington got caught with their hands on illegal gotten gains in the form of Jack Abramoff. So now they are all rushing to donate the ill gotten gains to charity. Excuse me? Lets see, now how does this make it OK? I mean really.....how does donating illegal funds from a lobbyist to charity excuse anything? It doesn't......but the politicians in Washington would have us believe that it does, it makes it all right.
Oprah thinks along the same lines. Just because Frey in his book projects a positive enlightened image, and he is now sober, it doesn't matter that parts of his book may be fabricated, he is still going to help people, and yes folks....he will probably make millions on the book. Maybe if he donates some of it to charity, it will make it all right. Now if it is learned that he didn't fabricate any of his book, then I guess I'll have egg on my face.....all the way to my ass......
To paraphrase a great news reporter:
Good afternoon and Good luck
L8TR
Chris
posted by Chris at 9:02 AM
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