CarolD

~*~A.A. Thoughts For The Day~*~

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Demonstration

"Men and women who use alcohol as an escape
are not the only ones who are afraid of life,
hostile to the world, fleeing from it into loneliness.
Millions who are not alcoholics
are living today in illusory worlds,
nurturing the basic anxieties and insecurities
of human existence
rather than face themselves with courage and humility.
To these people, AA can offer as a cure no magic potion,
no chemical formula, no powerful drug.
But it can demonstrate to them how to use the tools
of humility, honesty, devotion, and love,
which indeed are the heart of the Twelve Steps
of our recovery."

c.1957AAWS, Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age, p. 279
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Thought to Consider . . .

AA Is like an adjustable wrench, it fits almost any nut.


*~*~*AACRONYMS*~*~*
H O P E = Help Open People's Eyes

24hrsAday

A.A. principals are powerful indeed! thanks for the good post carol!

freya

So, this has been kind of a rough week. Monday night I had a mini "if you're hysterical, it's historical" breakdown, and then on Wednesday my partner and I broke up.

Although it actually happened very strangely and unexpectedly, the break-up has been necessary for at least the last few months, and over that time I've been trying to cease and desist any behaviors that basically created the illusion that we had a relationship where in fact there was none. One of the last of which was attending her HG meeting with her on Friday nights.

Anyway, on to my real point related to the reading here: For the last few weeks I've been checking out some different meetings on Fridays..and most of them have been fine but not particularly good fits for me. So, yesterday I decided to go to a meeting at this church where I have been many times to their daily noon meetings -- and I just kinda expected that the evening meeting would be pretty much the same in terms of style, tone, attendees, etc....

Well, I get there, and of course, I am not quite my usual totally brazen, outgoing, and super-confident self just because of all the cr*p that's been going on this week....and it's rainy and cold...and the room in which the noon meeting happens is dark...and there are only a few cars there....and there are about just as many (older) men smoking on the porch as there are cars in the driveway......

So, I sit there thinking to myself: "Oh, cr*p....do I really want to walk into a teeny, tiny AA meeting with all men who look like they have known each other forever and say 'Hi, I'm Chris, grateful member of Al Anon'??????"

Well, a few more cars came, two of them actually containing couples, and it was almost 8PM, so finally, I just told myself: "You wanted to come here; you're here.....what is wrong with you thinking that these people won't be friendly and welcoming and that their meeting won't be of any use to you when you haven't even given it a chance? Just get in there and at least you'll have something to do for an hour and not have to feel like a wimp."

So, I did.

Turns out there were 16 people there (2 of whom I've met before) and they were all very nice and it was an excellent meeting... (in the church's youth room, which was a total hoot!) The format was kinda different -- the chair chooses a topic from the index of As Bill Sees It, and then they go around the room reading the pages listed for that topic and then sharing -- fairly long shares mostly -- on their experience with what they read. (Turns out, too, that more than half of the people there have been sober since the '80s!)

Well, when the meeting opened and the chair asked for someone to read "How It Works," this old guy sitting next to me (who by that time knew I was an Al Anon) just like shoves the reading into my hand -- so I read it. And then when the person next to me on the other side was doing his reading from As Bill Sees It, somebody else jumped up and got me a book so I could read next. And since I actually had something to say about what I read (about willingness) I said it (tried to be brief -- which, despite the usual length of my posts on SR does actually happen sometimes!).

So, anyway, it was a very, very good experience for me and just what I needed last night......and I'm so grateful that I didn't leave without giving it, and them, and HP a chance!

freya

Clutch B

Hey Freya -- I'm glad you had that experience at the meeting.

I'm always nervous about going to new meetings. "I won't be welcome, everyone will instantly hate me, they're all better off if I just go home and hide in the corner." So that's what I do. I drive back home.

The few times I got up the bravery to go inside -- it worked out alot like your story. The "unwelcome" feeling that I feared wasn't there. I ended up having a great time and feeling foolish for being scared.

Funny thing is ... I'm still scared to death to go to a new meeting

So thanks for sharing your success story. I will remember it the next time I start to chicken out.