Relationships are like Miracle Grow for my character defects

A guy I really like and respect spoke last evening.  He was celebrating nineteen years and is an excellent speaker.  He works a good A.A. program and emphasizes putting energy daily into treating this chronic illness we both have.  He often says that recovery is like trying to go up a down escalator, you have to work at it pretty hard just to stay in the same place much less get better.

Last night he was talking about relationships and how relationships trigger most of his character defects.  Sometimes I think that if there were no other "normal" people in my life it would be a lot easier to stay sober.  People trigger my character defects too, other drivers, employees in large bureaucratic organizations providing "customer service," friends who offer unsolicited advice.  By the time I've begun to contact people in the real world on a daily basis I need every tool in the tool kit just to get through the day.  The guy really captured it when he said "Relationships are like Miracle Grow for my character defects."  Then of course he discussed acceptance and the Serenity Prayer as answers.  It was a good meeting for me.