stevieg46

Well call me old fashioned but I personally think all phones should be left switched off except waiting on an'' urgent matter of life or death text message'' and phone should be on silent .

When did phones become '' fashionable ?'' AA ''survived for about 60+ years without mobile phones . I also think its disrespectful , Gods sake can you not live without your phone for 90 minutes or so , do not care whatever excuse you make up its self will , one simply couldn't concentrate anyhow if their mind drifts off elsewhere .

Try learn to listen and listen to learn while fiddling with your phone . personally It disrupts ''my attention span and annoys me as it should not be happening '' would you do the same in church or in a courtroom ''

Why do some folk treat their phone as a matter of life or death or extension of their arm .
rant over, wisdom to know the difference , rules do not apply to me ? what !!!.

Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006

dox

.
Stevie, you are old-fashioned.

So is my sponsor.

He doesn't own a mobile phone.

Soberpotamus

Yeah, I was thinking some of this might be about generational differences.

There's manners, and then there's irresponsible mobile phone usage. Big difference, I think.

If there's a sign up somewhere, then I think it's best to obey rules. That would be an exception.

It seems there are heated opinions amongst AAs re cell phone usage. I never saw this coming.

Ironically, when I drove up to the Clubhouse today to inquire about women's meetings, I rolled down my window and the guy walked over and asked if I had a smartphone -- I grabbed my phone, and he prompted me to google for meetings.

ru12

Perhaps the phone use during meetings is just part of the general coursening of civil engagement. If I go to a meeting I try to be present and aware of what is going on around me. I politely listen when people share. And frankly I'm just amazed and profoundly grateful that I am alive and sober.

stevieg46

.

Hi Dox .

Forget AA for a minute and I do not think I am old fashioned I move with the times but sometimes ''enough is enough '' just an example or two , my daughter is 43 years old , my grand daughter is 21 years old , they come to visit , usually about 4-6 hours sometimes more , they sit on different couches each with phone in hand from the minute they arrive , constantly texting sitting sometimes laughing aloud , Facebook , Twitter Wassup , music , news etc never ending they have lunch, supper phone in hand, they go to the bathroom phone in hand .

Next to no conversations taking place, my wife and I spend most of the time tending to great grand kids , kids at a young age are so demanding , times I go to say something and its ''hold on a minute ????? '' , its not good enough and I have told them recently that next time they visit they have to keep phones in their bag , its down right bad manners not old fashioned .

I talk to one or two primary school teachers at the health club and they tell me that young kids and older kids do not know how to spell words in the English language , they text message using words as they sound , this is ''normal '' , you go on public transport or on a train journey and everyone has phone in hand or headphones on , I have seen people walk into obstacles whilst texting not looking were they are going . people in restaurants sitting having a meal with phone in hand , kids upstairs texting whats for dinner . Is this modern technology , no at times its unacceptable behavior , conversation is dead , people do not know how to talk to each other they are wrapped up in self .

Recently in the local newspaper , people have been fined by a Court Judge for contempt of court or not respecting or observing the condition/rule of court room

I have had a mobile phone from the 80 s , they are of great benefit and essential , my phone is switched off when I go to a meeting, if something is important it can wait an hour or two , my Higher Power tells me to switch off mine , maybe others Higher Powers tells them to keep theirs on and fiddle about with it during the meeting (grin ) Sponsor ? never had or needed one for past 10 years .

Regards Stevie recovered 12 03 2006 .

Dave42001

I'm on the phone 9-10 hours a day for work, the last thing I want to do is even see a phone.. People have become robots.. When I was young all I wanted to do is be outside, still love being outdoors far away from the rat race and where cell phones don't work..

stevieg46

.

Hi Dave mobile phones use is the fastest growing addiction in the world , it is the opiate of the masses as Karl Marks said about religion , take care .

Regards Stevie

dox

Stevie,

I only did as you asked.

I agree with most of your subsequent rant.

Talk about your paradox: They call it social media!

My 15-year-old is addicted to screens, large and small.

Like any addiction, it does not bow down to intervention by others.

Maybe those that we see tapping away in meetings are trading one addiction for another?

Not unheard of, eh?

Are we all addicted to SR? Who? me?

There are those among us who would say that attending AA meetings is swapping addictions.

To each her own.

I apologise for my part in the digression of this discussion.

Perhaps we can return to our tongue-in-cheek taking of one another's inventories as it relates to our quirky behaviours in meetings?

Maybe not.


"All lies and jest . . ." ~ Paul Simon

stevieg46

Grin lol.

SoberCAH

I usually leave at or 2 or 3 minutes following when the AA meeting is supposed to be over.

A lot of good recovery happens in the parking lots of AA meetings, but they are supposed to last an hour.

Taylorman1

Thanks for putting this list together. I've been in AA for a long time, and am always intrigued by the people we manage to attract, but let's face it, it's just like any other organization, and it takes all types.

I would also add someone we might call a Sponsorholic, or a person who collects sponsees by the boatload. We had a guy who regularly was sponsoring 20 or so people at a time, which, of course, is not really possible.

Maudcat

And let’s not forget The Humble Bragger.
He (it was always a he) will stand up and tell the group how awful a husband and father he was.
Missed school events, drunk at school events, fights with the in laws, fights with co workers, on and on.
Then he will close with, “Can you believe it? My wife STILL didn't leave me.”
Like he’s some kind of prize package or something.
Sheesh.

Ken33xx

10 Types of People You’ll Meet at 12-Step Meetings
https://www.addiction.com/9209/10-ty...step-meetings/

fini

Bunny, are you around these days? You started the thread...

SoberCAH

The original post on this thread by Bunny had me in stitches.

It was hard not to see some of myself in the various prototypes she described.

least

I read once that there are two types of people in the world. Those who divide people into two types, and those who don't.

Outonthetiles

I'd probably be the Pink Clouder, and I would probably run into trouble as a 13th stepper.

shortstop81

Haha, I missed this thread the first time around.

Gottalife

I can think of two women who sponsor in those kind of numbers, but I have not met any men at that level.

I can see it would be extremely hard work to sponsor 20 beginners at once, and impossible if your method of sponsorship includes life coaching and problem solving in areas other than alcoholism and AA program, like marriage guidance, employment and relationship advice etc.

But in an environment where life long sponsorship is promoted (not by me or the big book ) where we have to have a sponsor who is sponsored, if one was following the principles of working with newcomers and also those who have reocovered ,enevitably one must accumulate more and more sponsees. The only way to prevent it would be to stop working with newcomers, and we know how that turns out.

In a codependent environment where the sponsor is next to God, if not actually God, it is hard to see how it would be possible not to end up sponsoring large numbers.

2muchpain

I always found it interesting when someone new comes to a meeting and you can tell their "not from around here" thing going on. The reactions from some of the regular members are priceless. Too funny. John