Mentioning finances in meetings
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Join Date: Jan 2014
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Mentioning finances in meetings
Financial stuff has been an on-going struggle throughout my sobriety thus far. I don't talk about it in meetings very often but every now and then it comes up. If I say anything it's usually positive...like a while back I talked about how I thought there was no way I'd be able to pay my rent and then my higher power came through and suddenly extra, unexpected money appeared in my bank account. Recently, I was at a meeting on accepting and letting go. I spoke about the fact that I've become good at letting go out of necessity lately because I've been averaging about $5 in my bank account for the last few weeks but somehow I've been ok, have had gas for my car, haven't gone hungry, etc. I ask my HP every day, "OK how are we gonna get through this one?" and every time he's come through. Every time when I think I'm stuck someone who doesn't even know I'm struggling will come tell me they need help and offer to pay me to do some random job for them.
Anyway, at the end of this most recent meeting a few people offered to buy me food and such. I felt bad because I really hadn't at all meant to be asking anyone for money. I started wondering if maybe it was wrong of me to even bring it up because it put pressure (though unintended) on others to help me. But then I also started wondering if these people offering to help was my higher power's way of coming through for me, and that maybe it was a matter of me needing to graciously accept help (as important and often as hard has helping others!). The past meeting I'm thinking of a woman followed me out after and basically shoved money in my hand and insisted I take it. She said she wanted to make sure I had gas to keep coming to meetings because she was glad I was there. (I didn't know her very well at the time but we've since become friends.
I know stuff with money can get sticky, and I know some people essentially use meetings as a platform to beg for money. We had one woman going to 2 of the meetings I go to and regularly conning people out of money for a variety of sob stories. Once people caught on to her she stopped coming and no one has heard from her in months. That's not my intention at all, and like I said I keep it positive and not sob-story-esque, but it is better to leave money talk out of meetings all together?
Anyway, at the end of this most recent meeting a few people offered to buy me food and such. I felt bad because I really hadn't at all meant to be asking anyone for money. I started wondering if maybe it was wrong of me to even bring it up because it put pressure (though unintended) on others to help me. But then I also started wondering if these people offering to help was my higher power's way of coming through for me, and that maybe it was a matter of me needing to graciously accept help (as important and often as hard has helping others!). The past meeting I'm thinking of a woman followed me out after and basically shoved money in my hand and insisted I take it. She said she wanted to make sure I had gas to keep coming to meetings because she was glad I was there. (I didn't know her very well at the time but we've since become friends.
I know stuff with money can get sticky, and I know some people essentially use meetings as a platform to beg for money. We had one woman going to 2 of the meetings I go to and regularly conning people out of money for a variety of sob stories. Once people caught on to her she stopped coming and no one has heard from her in months. That's not my intention at all, and like I said I keep it positive and not sob-story-esque, but it is better to leave money talk out of meetings all together?
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Kansas
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When you are offered help, the default answer should always be yes thank you very much.
When you accept help from someone you are letting them be a valuable part of your life. From here on in, the person that helped you stays with you as you travel life. When you refuse help the message is that you are not needed in my life. I'm leaving you behind.
When you accept help from someone you are letting them be a valuable part of your life. From here on in, the person that helped you stays with you as you travel life. When you refuse help the message is that you are not needed in my life. I'm leaving you behind.
Psalm 118:24
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: ILLINOIS
Posts: 15,203
The idea of this program is to pay it forward. I used to always take people to and from meetings that didn't have a car of a license to drive. I never asked and I always turned down any money for gas.
I would get a resentment when, they stopped going to meetings and didn't in turn pay it forward. But as a friend reminded me, I stayed sober and was doing the right thing for the right reason.
It's real easy to help out someone when, you expect something in return from them down the road. But to help someone out with out expecting anything defines character.
If you follow by example what's being done for you, you've learned an invaluable lesson.
I would get a resentment when, they stopped going to meetings and didn't in turn pay it forward. But as a friend reminded me, I stayed sober and was doing the right thing for the right reason.
It's real easy to help out someone when, you expect something in return from them down the road. But to help someone out with out expecting anything defines character.
If you follow by example what's being done for you, you've learned an invaluable lesson.
Fellow Traveler and Seeker
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 2,408
Finances are a real issue for most of us. Especially in early recovery. Most don't have jobs or have jobs that don't pay much. I was jobless and tapping into savings to pay for rent, etc. when I first got to the rooms. But i didn't speak about it, as I figured I was the one who got himself in a mess. Now, I haven't seen anyone petition in any way for funds, except maybe once, and it was very obvious and awkward. But people still helped the dude out. As mentioned already in the comments, this is about accepting help (something we are not usually good at) and allowing someone to be of service. Denying them is denying their giving spirit, in my mind. It keeps my ego free too.
And yeah, paying it forward - that's what we do. My sponsor never asked anything of me after all those hours and hours spent with me doing the work, or going to court with me, or meeting me in my neck of the woods, or hanging on the phone, etc. I payed that forward with sponsees. These days, i get to help my sponsor deal with a new computer (he knows very little about them) and stuff like that, and it's genuine and helpful. The universe will give us the opportunities to do this, and as long as we are open and willing to be awake to it, it works out.
And yeah, paying it forward - that's what we do. My sponsor never asked anything of me after all those hours and hours spent with me doing the work, or going to court with me, or meeting me in my neck of the woods, or hanging on the phone, etc. I payed that forward with sponsees. These days, i get to help my sponsor deal with a new computer (he knows very little about them) and stuff like that, and it's genuine and helpful. The universe will give us the opportunities to do this, and as long as we are open and willing to be awake to it, it works out.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: North US
Posts: 174
I think your okay discussing finances. However, I would not ever ask other members directly for money. There is a guy who panhandles during and after the meeting. He has been doing it for years and always seems to get a few bucks. Not surprisingly, he struggles to stay sober.
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Indiana
Posts: 639
I don't know, I just tend to go by the "issues affecting sobriety one would like to discuss" instruction. Meaning if I thought I might drink because I am broke or being harassed by creditors, I might bring it up. If I felt overwhelmed by financial difficulties in turn leading me to want booze I would maybe talk about it. If I was just ticked off because I had no paycheck left or something like that I would probably keep it to myself in AA.
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Originally Posted by Turninganewleaf 
I think your okay discussing finances. However, I would not ever ask other members directly for money. There is a guy who panhandles during and after the meeting. He has been doing it for years and always seems to get a few bucks. Not surprisingly, he struggles to stay sober.
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Originally Posted by Brian316
I don't know, I just tend to go by the "issues affecting sobriety one would like to discuss" instruction. Meaning if I thought I might drink because I am broke or being harassed by creditors, I might bring it up. If I felt overwhelmed by financial difficulties in turn leading me to want booze I would maybe talk about it. If I was just ticked off because I had no paycheck left or something like that I would probably keep it to myself in AA.
I guess it effects my sobriety in that it's helping me learn and strengthen my faith.
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Originally Posted by BadCompany
When you are offered help, the default answer should always be yes thank you very much.
When you accept help from someone you are letting them be a valuable part of your life. From here on in, the person that helped you stays with you as you travel life. When you refuse help the message is that you are not needed in my life. I'm leaving you behind.
When you accept help from someone you are letting them be a valuable part of your life. From here on in, the person that helped you stays with you as you travel life. When you refuse help the message is that you are not needed in my life. I'm leaving you behind.
Anyway thank you and everyone for your thoughts on this. It helps a lot.
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 3,359
Just make sure you are paying it forward. I never give money to people on the Street begging for money. I feel its better to throw the money away bc I feel their desire is not genuine. I have paid for someone's grocery bill when her credit card was declined in the food store though. Last night I gave someone who I know has had a tough time kicking heroin and booze some NHL tickets to a game - he is a huge fan and was over the moon. It mad me feel good. For me the money is nothing - I would have paid a couple grand to get the feeling I got of seeing this guy so excited and it only cost me a couple hundred bucks.
What is a lot to some does not move the needle for others. Accept the help when offered bc coming from the giving side to be turned down is to be rejected and that does not feel good. Make a plan and when you are in the position pay it forward to someone else. Who knows, perhaps we will start a trend of doing the next right thing:-)
What is a lot to some does not move the needle for others. Accept the help when offered bc coming from the giving side to be turned down is to be rejected and that does not feel good. Make a plan and when you are in the position pay it forward to someone else. Who knows, perhaps we will start a trend of doing the next right thing:-)
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 557
I completely agree with everyone about accepting help from those who offer. If they didn't want to help you, they wouldn't offer! And of course, we pay everything forward. That's what AA is all about!
When sharing in meetings, I was taught to not share specifics, and to keep it on alcohol. Shares that detail everything a person is going through in their life today, but then at the end the person says, "But I won't drink about it", for me aren't really on topic. I'm not saying this is what you are doing at all! I don't know, since I am not in your meetings, so please don't think that. I'm just telling you what I've been taught. So for example, the topic at my meeting the other day was acceptance. I actually set the topic because of all the health and mental health and spiritual struggles I've been having lately. But that's really all I said about it. I don't go into specifics at all, because that's not what's important. What's important is how it relates to my alcoholism. So in my share I mentioned that I was struggling with some things and that I needed to accept them and do the things I needed to do to stay sober. I didn't say what those "things" were. I talk about how to handle acceptance, not necessarily details about what I'm accepting. I actually share much more personally on here sometimes than in meetings, because it's not really a meeting.
I know people have different philosophies on sharing, but that's what I was taught. So when I'm struggling with finances, that's what I say. I would not go into detail at all. Most of the time I don't even say I'm struggling with _____. I just say I'm struggling with some things. Because the issue itself isn't what's important. When I'm sharing, I'm not getting things off my chest. I'm showing how I use the tools of AA to live my life. So I focus on the tools. I think it helps others relate, also. The feelings and the solution are the common denominators that everyone can relate to.
When I'm with my sponsor, though, all bets are off! That poor woman hears every little detail sometimes! But I hear her stuff too, so it balances out. I'm not one for the "after" or "before" meeting, because I'm so shy, but that's also a good time to get those details out to friends.
Again, I'm not judging your shares at all. There would be no way for me to, since I wasn't there. And who am I to say, right?
When sharing in meetings, I was taught to not share specifics, and to keep it on alcohol. Shares that detail everything a person is going through in their life today, but then at the end the person says, "But I won't drink about it", for me aren't really on topic. I'm not saying this is what you are doing at all! I don't know, since I am not in your meetings, so please don't think that. I'm just telling you what I've been taught. So for example, the topic at my meeting the other day was acceptance. I actually set the topic because of all the health and mental health and spiritual struggles I've been having lately. But that's really all I said about it. I don't go into specifics at all, because that's not what's important. What's important is how it relates to my alcoholism. So in my share I mentioned that I was struggling with some things and that I needed to accept them and do the things I needed to do to stay sober. I didn't say what those "things" were. I talk about how to handle acceptance, not necessarily details about what I'm accepting. I actually share much more personally on here sometimes than in meetings, because it's not really a meeting.
I know people have different philosophies on sharing, but that's what I was taught. So when I'm struggling with finances, that's what I say. I would not go into detail at all. Most of the time I don't even say I'm struggling with _____. I just say I'm struggling with some things. Because the issue itself isn't what's important. When I'm sharing, I'm not getting things off my chest. I'm showing how I use the tools of AA to live my life. So I focus on the tools. I think it helps others relate, also. The feelings and the solution are the common denominators that everyone can relate to.
When I'm with my sponsor, though, all bets are off! That poor woman hears every little detail sometimes! But I hear her stuff too, so it balances out. I'm not one for the "after" or "before" meeting, because I'm so shy, but that's also a good time to get those details out to friends.
Again, I'm not judging your shares at all. There would be no way for me to, since I wasn't there. And who am I to say, right?
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Join Date: Jul 2012
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Originally Posted by Riverbird
So is saying saying that I'm down to almost no money and then after accepting money from people mean that I am asking for money? That's what I'm afraid of. I never intentionally asked directly for money, but I'm afraid it came across as some manipulative way of asking.
It's OK to say things aren't great and in my experience I've had lots of material support from friends in the fellowship when I've been struggling.
if you're worried, take a look at this:
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12-Step Recovered Alkie
Join Date: May 2010
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Riverbird... I applaud you. While it's one thing to intentionally attempt to manipulate ppl out of their money with a sob story (and most of us are good at such things) it sounds like your heart was in the right place - so you've got nothing to be self conscious about.
"....a program which requires rigorous honesty," right? I, for one, get more out of someone speaking from the heart and discussing their current REALITY than I do from someone quoting the book trying to teach ppl what AA should be.
My financial path in sobriety has been far from what I would have considered ideal and I was afraid to share it at meetings. I didn't want to dash what little hope someone might have, yanno? lol. I kept quiet about it (aka, lied at meetings by withholding the truth) for as long as I could take it......then finally started getting real. Suffice it to say, my "message" has been well received and ppl appreciate the honesty. And like you said, it's a 24hr program. That's what my great-grandsponsor used to hammer home. Do I have enough $, food, etc RIGHT NOW? Right this minute....are things ok? I find when I'm tempted to say "no" it's not the now that's not ok, it's my perception of what the future will look like that's not ok. And that dissatisfaction has always been rooted in my desire to play God and control my life.
So long as you're sharing where you are, what's going on (good and bad) and what it is you're doing to apply the steps/program/principles to effect some change or maybe just to move forward in spite of whatever difficulties you're facing........I think you're right on track. That said, I've got a history of doing sharing things not just to share and be honest but to try and GET someone to help me out. That's something I have to look out for....what are my motives? Am I walking the spiritual path and sharing my experience or am I trying to control, manipulate and con people. The answer is usually instantly obvious to me.
"....a program which requires rigorous honesty," right? I, for one, get more out of someone speaking from the heart and discussing their current REALITY than I do from someone quoting the book trying to teach ppl what AA should be.
My financial path in sobriety has been far from what I would have considered ideal and I was afraid to share it at meetings. I didn't want to dash what little hope someone might have, yanno? lol. I kept quiet about it (aka, lied at meetings by withholding the truth) for as long as I could take it......then finally started getting real. Suffice it to say, my "message" has been well received and ppl appreciate the honesty. And like you said, it's a 24hr program. That's what my great-grandsponsor used to hammer home. Do I have enough $, food, etc RIGHT NOW? Right this minute....are things ok? I find when I'm tempted to say "no" it's not the now that's not ok, it's my perception of what the future will look like that's not ok. And that dissatisfaction has always been rooted in my desire to play God and control my life.
So long as you're sharing where you are, what's going on (good and bad) and what it is you're doing to apply the steps/program/principles to effect some change or maybe just to move forward in spite of whatever difficulties you're facing........I think you're right on track. That said, I've got a history of doing sharing things not just to share and be honest but to try and GET someone to help me out. That's something I have to look out for....what are my motives? Am I walking the spiritual path and sharing my experience or am I trying to control, manipulate and con people. The answer is usually instantly obvious to me.
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Join Date: Jan 2013
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Originally Posted by DayTrader
Right this minute....are things ok? I find when I'm tempted to say "no" it's not the now that's not ok, it's my perception of what the future will look like that's not ok. And that dissatisfaction has always been rooted in my desire to play God and control my life.
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I guess meetings are different in different areas. If I only shared about things I thought I was going to drink over I would rarely ever talk. These days there's little that would make me drink. Obviously I can't say that nothing would, and I need to keep myself spiritually fit (hence working the program), but pretty much everything I share in a meeting I'm not going to drink over. Thankfully I'm past that point in my life and my addiction...for today anyway.
How the meetings I go to tend to work is that someone sets the topic and then people share their life experiences as they relate to that topic. That's why I shared about my finances and knowing that I'd be ok even in the face of fear about them when the topic was acceptance. Had I said for the topic to be "my finances suck" then that would be inappropriate, but instead I was using my experiences to offer help to others. That's how the program is meant to work (in my understanding). It's not up to me to tell you how to practice acceptance in your struggles. I can only tell you how acceptance (or whatever else) is working in my life and you can take what you want from that.
I personally like to hear the specifics of what people are dealing with. Obviously not if they're going to take up the whole meeting talking about their issues, but I like to hear shares that are from the heart. I went to one meeting a while back that ended up being about grief and loss. Almost everyone there had recently lost someone close to them or had someone close to them who was very ill that they were afraid of losing. I couldn't relate to that aspect of it at all, but I still benefitted a lot from the meeting because I realized that what they were saying about grief was also true for my grieving the loss of my childhood, my family (through circumstance, not through death), my happiness, my innocence, etc. There was a lot I could take from it even though I hadn't dealt with the same specific issues. I got way more out of hearing someone talk about how she was dealing with the loss of her mother than had she said "I'm dealing with some stuff related to grief" or anything like that. It also helps me to see that the people who appear to have it all together hurt and struggle just like I do. (And of course it's fun to get to celebrate the happy stuff with them too. I've also reached a point now where I struggle to trust people that are too vague, because I've met too many people that sound good in meetings and say the right things but aren't living the program at all.
Anyway enough of that tangent...speaking of not staying on topic! lol This is such a strange program sometimes...I have AA friends who I feel so close to because I know some of the really heavy stuff they've been through, and yet I don't know any of the small talk questions like what they do for work or for fun or any of that.
(By the way this isn't meant to be attacking towards anyone else...just random thoughts from posts on here. I really appreciate all the different thoughts and it helps me to see this from lots of different angles).
How the meetings I go to tend to work is that someone sets the topic and then people share their life experiences as they relate to that topic. That's why I shared about my finances and knowing that I'd be ok even in the face of fear about them when the topic was acceptance. Had I said for the topic to be "my finances suck" then that would be inappropriate, but instead I was using my experiences to offer help to others. That's how the program is meant to work (in my understanding). It's not up to me to tell you how to practice acceptance in your struggles. I can only tell you how acceptance (or whatever else) is working in my life and you can take what you want from that.
I personally like to hear the specifics of what people are dealing with. Obviously not if they're going to take up the whole meeting talking about their issues, but I like to hear shares that are from the heart. I went to one meeting a while back that ended up being about grief and loss. Almost everyone there had recently lost someone close to them or had someone close to them who was very ill that they were afraid of losing. I couldn't relate to that aspect of it at all, but I still benefitted a lot from the meeting because I realized that what they were saying about grief was also true for my grieving the loss of my childhood, my family (through circumstance, not through death), my happiness, my innocence, etc. There was a lot I could take from it even though I hadn't dealt with the same specific issues. I got way more out of hearing someone talk about how she was dealing with the loss of her mother than had she said "I'm dealing with some stuff related to grief" or anything like that. It also helps me to see that the people who appear to have it all together hurt and struggle just like I do. (And of course it's fun to get to celebrate the happy stuff with them too.
I've also reached a point now where I struggle to trust people that are too vague, because I've met too many people that sound good in meetings and say the right things but aren't living the program at all.Anyway enough of that tangent...speaking of not staying on topic! lol This is such a strange program sometimes...I have AA friends who I feel so close to because I know some of the really heavy stuff they've been through, and yet I don't know any of the small talk questions like what they do for work or for fun or any of that.
(By the way this isn't meant to be attacking towards anyone else...just random thoughts from posts on here. I really appreciate all the different thoughts and it helps me to see this from lots of different angles).
Poison Eater Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2011
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Originally Posted by Riverbird
I guess meetings are different in different areas. If I only shared about things I thought I was going to drink over I would rarely ever talk. These days there's little that would make me drink.
Most of the people at the meetings I go to seem to have long term sobriety, but somehow, they always pepper their sharing with comments about how awful their past drinking was. I really appreciate that.
I've been to meetings like you describe (where people just share about what is going on in their life), and I don't get much out of them...so I stay away from those types of meetings. I guess it is partly because I am just coming back and need to hear more about people's experiences with drinking (and quitting).
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Join Date: May 2010
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Originally Posted by Riverbird
If I only shared about things I thought I was going to drink over I would rarely ever talk. These days there's little that would make me drink.
I drank because I'm an alcoholic and hadn't been able to tap into the Power of God. Now, I'm able to do that but yanno what? I don't do it some days (can't or won't). Sometimes I'm not all that spiritually fit, some days I skimp on my maintenance and most days I don't practice all the principles in ALL my affairs. Those days, it was simply the grace of God. And come to think of it, most days are probably more about God's grace than they are about me, my program, and what I'm doing/not doing.
If I knew what was going to make me drink, I probably wouldn't continue to work through the steps and focus on spiritual growth......I just do/not do those things and I'd be good to go......since I was able to keep myself sober, I'd choose not to drink and manage my life in a manner that kept me from drinking.
......but then again, drinking wasn't really my problem....
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Originally Posted by freethinking
At most of the discussion meetings I go to, it is stated before hand that people should limit their comments to those relating to alcohol (or something to that effect).
Most of the people at the meetings I go to seem to have long term sobriety, but somehow, they always pepper their sharing with comments about how awful their past drinking was. I really appreciate that.
I've been to meetings like you describe (where people just share about what is going on in their life), and I don't get much out of them...so I stay away from those types of meetings. I guess it is partly because I am just coming back and need to hear more about people's experiences with drinking (and quitting).
Most of the people at the meetings I go to seem to have long term sobriety, but somehow, they always pepper their sharing with comments about how awful their past drinking was. I really appreciate that.
I've been to meetings like you describe (where people just share about what is going on in their life), and I don't get much out of them...so I stay away from those types of meetings. I guess it is partly because I am just coming back and need to hear more about people's experiences with drinking (and quitting).
That said it's not just a discussion of what's going on in our lives. It's always how we're using the tools of the program to deal with our lives today. Sometimes it's realizing and understanding that we're powerless. Sometimes it's learning to rely more on our higher power. Sometimes it might be helping others. So if the topic is the 3rd step and reliance on a higher power, I might talk about how I'm relying on my HP to get me through my current financial situation. I don't know how I'm going to make it on my own but I keep praying and somehow it keeps working out for me. Or I might say that I've been saying a prayer before every job interview to help me calm down and trust that my HP will help me find the right words to say if it's the right job for me. I might add that that's something I've worked on throughout my sobriety, and very different from how I would've handled something like money issues or job interviews in the past (where I would've just freaked out and stressed out and maybe not gone at all because I was so nervous!). Or I might focus more on the actual working of my 3rd step and how I did it. To me either one of those options would be appropriate, and which I would take would depend on the meeting. If I knew there was a newcomer present, or someone who had asked specifically about the step itself, I would probably lean more towards the 2nd option as that would probably be more helpful to someone just coming in or just starting the steps. But I think there's also a lot of value in the first option. The 2nd option is just a single story...one moment/event in time. The first actually describes how i'm using this tool...giving things over to my higher power and trusting in him/her...in my daily life to help me get through challenges and stay sober. Maybe it's less directly about alcohol, but still very useful in a discussion about alcoholism. I love to hear how the tools of the program can be useful to a person whether they're 2 days sober or 20 years.
I guess if I wanted to hear directly about how people quit, or a specific aspect of what they did, I would bring that up as a topic. But that's just me. Maybe its my ADD but meetings would get way too boring for me otherwise! lol
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Originally Posted by DayTrader
Is it possible that you don't have a clue what you'd "drink over?" And is it true that when you were drinking, sometimes you drink for no reason at all?
I drank because I'm an alcoholic and hadn't been able to tap into the Power of God. Now, I'm able to do that but yanno what? I don't do it some days (can't or won't). Sometimes I'm not all that spiritually fit, some days I skimp on my maintenance and most days I don't practice all the principles in ALL my affairs. Those days, it was simply the grace of God. And come to think of it, most days are probably more about God's grace than they are about me, my program, and what I'm doing/not doing.
If I knew what was going to make me drink, I probably wouldn't continue to work through the steps and focus on spiritual growth......I just do/not do those things and I'd be good to go......since I was able to keep myself sober, I'd choose not to drink and manage my life in a manner that kept me from drinking.
......but then again, drinking wasn't really my problem....
I drank because I'm an alcoholic and hadn't been able to tap into the Power of God. Now, I'm able to do that but yanno what? I don't do it some days (can't or won't). Sometimes I'm not all that spiritually fit, some days I skimp on my maintenance and most days I don't practice all the principles in ALL my affairs. Those days, it was simply the grace of God. And come to think of it, most days are probably more about God's grace than they are about me, my program, and what I'm doing/not doing.
If I knew what was going to make me drink, I probably wouldn't continue to work through the steps and focus on spiritual growth......I just do/not do those things and I'd be good to go......since I was able to keep myself sober, I'd choose not to drink and manage my life in a manner that kept me from drinking.
......but then again, drinking wasn't really my problem....
Haha I knew someone was going to call me out on that! Thank you for doing so.
That's a statement no one in AA should make and there I go saying it. I was referring to an earlier post where someone had said that a person describing an issue and then saying "but I'm not going to drink over it," wouldn't be on topic. It's true that I could very well drink over anything and everything, which is why I think it's important to share in meetings about what's going on in our lives. What I meant was that if I shared only on what I was actively considering taking a drink over, I wouldn't have much to say most days. Most days when I go to a meeting I'm not really thinking that much about alcohol. But I know I still need meetings because I need to stay connected and keep learning how to better live my life. (And of course to help others as well.
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