mle, you're right, it is gossip and gossip can destroy many a thing. There are several people who are jealous of how far my stepfather has gotten in business and being in AA doesn't change their bitterness towards him. While they may understand the disease, there are those that may not be able to resist the temptation to gossip about my family. Look what happened to my friends. They were surrounded by people who understood the disease and yet couldn't resist outing them in spite of it. No one is perfect. It would be heroic to hold up my head in this town but as I said in my post, I don't know if I can handle the pressure of that coupled with staying sober. Stress is my trigger and I may be safer staying with SR for a while while I get up my nerve.