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Old 11-17-2008, 09:51 AM
  # 4 (permalink)  
gravity
where the light is
 
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2,763
Yes, there is a substitute, and it is vastly more than that. It is a Fellowship in Alcoholics Anonymous. There you will find release from care, boredom, and worry. Your imagination will be fired. Life will mean something at last.
I had a bad attitude about the fellowship this past week. At one meeting, one member physically threatened another member (yelling & swearing). At another meeting, I found the shares to be very lengthy & repetitive (not everyone got a chance to speak). I was also listening to some newer, younger members talk – the gossip, people using AA as a dating service. My first impulse was to pull back, limit my involvement – who wants to do something if you end up feeling bad afterwards? Reflecting back, though, this was only a small part of my experience. I learned, I helped others, and my sobriety is that much stronger. I enjoy the AA fellowship but I have to accept that it is not perfect and, in my opinion, not always as it is described in the Big Book.

Learning to give of ourselves fills the hole in our spirit caused by our former slothful indifference to our responsibilities and to the welfare of others. The incalculable benefits of self-sacrifice replace the baleful results of selfishness.
A driving force in my recovery – responsibility. As a father, husband, friend, AA member etc. Recognizing my selfishness, recognizing my responsibilities, and doing what I am supposed to do. Life is infinitely better!
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