WakeUp

"Each individual, in the personal stories, describes in his own language and from his own point of view, the way he established his relationship with God. These give a fair cross section of our membership and a clear cut idea of what has actually happened in their lives."
Page 29, the Big Book, 1st Edition

Something was revealed to me. I don't have a story. Well, take that back, I do have a story but nobody knows it. I can wax poetic about the Big Book and the program because I love our literature and it's been my experience that the program really works.

What I don't do is talk about my drinking. There's probably people who think I never drank a drop of alcohol in my life! (It was just grape juice!)
j/k

I saw this in the book and our stories should touch on our drinking not for entertainment, or one upmanship on the other guy's story, but to show the newcomer we were just like them. Plus, I need to tell the newcomer by my story how I got connected to God.

(You notice the first edition stories told of how the storyteller talks more about God? I've heard speakers say in the third and fourth editions, the stories that were more God-centered were removed in favor of newer stories.)

But I digress. I need to tell my story, and to correct this I will ask Dee if I can post another, complete story in the proper section on the boards. Thanks also to DT for trying to direct more newcomers to this 12 Step support forum. I hope a newcomer reads this.

Don't get freaked out about God newcomer, it's the God of your understanding!

Luweez

A newcomer has read this

PaperDolls

That's some good stuff right there WakeUp. Thank you for sharing.

I look forward to reading you story soon!

sugarbear1

Keith L. (not Keith I., yeah, I do need new eyeglasses) on xa-speakers mentioned that he didn't have a concept of a higher power and would write letters....

In the beginning of his recovery process, he wrote, "To whom this may concern...." Now he writes more intimately, and he shared that he now writes (he and his wife are religious and spiritual now) "Dear Heavenly Father" or "Dear God."

We each have our own ways to obtain sobriety! AA works for many of us.

JimdiGriz

Thankyou

WakeUp

I should say that my story needs to give specific examples of "what it was like", (drinking), because if I speak in abstract principles, a newcomer can't relate to that. If they can't relate, they will close their mind shut like a steel trap. If I speak in real life terms, like "I was a black-out, puke-out, falling-off-the-barstool drunk", then someone will think "hey, I can relate, I'm like that."

Dee74

You'll need to ask Carol if you could post again in Stories of Recovery

I wouldn't think there's anything stopping you posting your story in a more complete/updated forum anywhere tho

D

Tommyh

wakeup,I agree and i love your sense of humor
when i was attending aa in 1987,I was not done drinking.
Tom I spoke at our home group.I identified with him but i had no intention of doing so.....later on,Penny,a grey haired lady told her story,and i drank like she did....holy moly
wait a minute....I might be one of "them alcoholics"

thats one reason I love speaker meetings

now a days,everyone want to start up those discussion meetings ,like we got so much to discuss we need them 24 hrs a day or something

NYCDoglvr

When I tell my story I own it. There is no better motive to stay sober than reminding myself what it was like.

PaperDolls

I ended up "dragging" my now fiance to a couple of open speaker meetings earlyish in our relationship. He never drank in front of me.

After he heard one of the guys speak, we got in the car to leave and he said "You know what, I think I might be an alcoholic." He's been sober for 2+ years now.

shaun00

From captains table to steerage.........we are bound together in a common peril.

I believe there is nothing more powerful than one alcoholic sharing with another...same as Ebby to bill........ recovered alcoholics really have a responsibility to do that....be it a top table share..or working with someone that suffers ...or post your share on line........The impact can and does save lives.

Getting in a hole a number of years sober...im always mindful that the suffering alcoholic may not always be the newcomer.....Some of mark Houston talks really inspire me...going nuts at 10 years in..