Sabbatical

When you go on a sabbatical it is for the purpose of learning something new to include recalling something you had forgotten or to deepen an understanding.  Teachers do this to make themselves better teachers.  Well, drunks go on sabbaticals too.  They stop going to meetings, working the recovery steps and what do they learn on their dry sabbatical?  If they live, they learn that they are real alcoholics for instance.  Life gets that bad on the sabbatical.  Then they come back with a new purpose and enthusiasm they lacked the last time around.  Some people do that with their religion.  They drop out and become “used to be” people.  Life gets bleak with no spiritual replacement and eventually they might come back with a new enthusiasm and focus on working their faith.