[barb dwyer]

Hi everyone!
I'm still barb - and I'm still at LEAST ... an alcoholic.

Something happened tonight in our meeting, and I wanted to share it with y’all.

Our meetings are very very unstructured. Tuesday is BB study, and Thursday is 12X12. Other than that – Monday night is ‘candlelight’ (i.e. christmas lights thumbtacked to the walls for ‘ambiance’ … we like to think of it as ‘tacky chic’) and that’s about it. Keep yer discussion brief, and limited to your problems with alcohol. Don’t talk while others are.

You know – quite basic.

For whatever reasons, the local NA has had to combine their group with ours. While AA does have ‘closed’ meetings, the 8:00 is open to all. So lately, we’ve had a good number of NA people with nowhere else to go in our open meetings. Their input has been refreshing and very helpful, to me, at least.

Tonight – we had a gambler come in – asking for help.
I was kind of taken aback at that one. I thought there was a GA in town, but apparently not any more.

I was so … moved … struck ... by this person’s courage to walk into an AA meeting and say, I can’t get anyone to hear me … I have no where else to go … can I be here? Is there a place for me here?
Which is almost literally what this person said.

My God. The courage of that.

I’m sayin.
Kicked my behind.
I was so proud of my friends in the Fellowship tonight. I saw tonight why it is that I look up to them.
This person needed a ‘first step’ meeting, walked right in and asked for one, in fact … and the alcoholics who know gambling addiction stepped up to the plate. It was nothing short of miraculous.

I’m grateful and humbled to have been allowed to be present.

Did you ever think you'd say "Thank God for cross-addiction?"

But I’m also grateful for open meetings.
And for our relaxed formless format.
I remember thinking , ‘What if this had been me? What if I had had no place to go? Would I have had the courage to walk into someplace like that and ask for help?’

You know – I don’t think I would.

Which brings my latest and second most favorite AA slogan right into the room :

“I am responsible. When anyone anywhere reaches out for help; I want the hand of AA to be there. And for that – I am responsible.”

Wow.
I hope I got the point across ... I'm still kinda blown away by the whole thing. I know it was a miracle ... I am just having a time getting my mind around exactly what it was I witnessed.

I saw it y’all – front row seat!
It works! God bless Dr. Bob and Bill!

Thanks for letting me share;
barb