tiburon88

I have decided that since I first began AA meetings back in October 2002 that I have earned the right to collected a 5 year chip and a big cake. Now some members may laugh or ridicule me because I have been drunk as a skunk on a number of days since then BUT I will still maintain my 5 years of recovery. I consider recovery a process and not an event. I laugh now when AA "bullies" claim that I am a "newcomer" because I had a "few" beers the previous month. I only have to be honest with myself and not necessarily honest with most AA folks. I use to not even count my recovery time but now have decided to celebrate my 5 years!

Tazman53

Tiburon count it any way you wish, I do not have to look at you in the mirror every morning, in my area we count our sobriety time from when we had our last drink, not when we first started recovery.

We do not consider some one who has had a relapse/slip (Made a decision to drink again) as a newcomer, their not, but they are honest enough with them selfs and the group to share that they relapsed (Made a decision to drink again) and knowing that they really need to restart thier program they do start the steps anew because they know they really need to do some work on steps 1-3 again.

Resentments do tend to lead to a drink is one of the things the honest folks in our area share when they pick up thier 24 hour chip again, these are people I admire because they are not only honest, but they care enough about me and others to share the fact that they relapsed (Made a decision to drink again) and what led them to do so. Speaking of picking up another 24 hour chip, the meeting I was at last night a guy that new has several years of continuous sobriety shared that he relapsed after a number of years sober and when he picked up his new 24 hour chip he turned in all the chips he had picked up before. I am not to sure about turniong them back in, to each thier own, but he was sober for that time frame and as a result I feel that is a time period he can draw upon for experience.

BTW Tib if you had 3 months sobriety 20 years ago and after almost 20 more years of drinking would you be picking up a 20 year chip? After all you did start recovery 20 years ago even though you drank almost the whole time.

findingout

Hey tiburon88,

Interesting emotions and thoughts your post is bringing up in me. I just received my five year token last night after five years of not drinking. To be honest, part of me does want to open up a can of "Dude, how can you even..." on you, but taking other people's inventory is not the way I am supposed to be living my life these days. So congratulations on your recovery process. I believe you are very spot on that recovery is a process. If we stop trying to get better, we start getting worse again.

Thing is, there was a guy attending his very first A.A. meeting last night. I hope that getting my token gave him some hope that he can have five years free from alcohol and drugs... if that is what he wants.

Take care.

Doug

How can one claim to have 5 years of recovery, if one has been drinking within the 5 years?

Recovery is not drinking "on occasion". Alcoholism, not alcoholwasm.

I guess if one wasn't an alcoholic it wouldn't matter, in which case, neither would any of the chips, or claimed recovery time.

Pilgrim

I couldn't stay stopped either. Even when I made a decision to not drink again, even when I knew I had no choice, even when I needed to drink so much for hardly any effect, I drank again. That's when I discovered the true meaning of terror.

There are no rules in recovery. We make our own. Otherwise we don't learn self discipline - something I had none of when I came here. The consequences of failure are enough to keep us doing what has worked for others.

Congratulations on your milestone. I have been learning about this disease for only 8 months. I have 55 days in a row sober. I am very proud of both as well.

SaTiT

oki doki tibb..

can you tell them to send me a 15 years chip to me too.
Since i been doing this recovery stuff since 92.

while your at it, can you write state of CA to send me some
lotto winnings...5-10 millions would do, i don't ask for much.
I don't have a winning lotto number thou...but i still think
i deserve the moola...lol
can you also tell them...I 've been playing the lotto off and on,
but not all the time. mmmm maybe once or twice a year , if that'll help.

the longest i got is 11 years...damn it, i get to collect all those
chips again.

I like my current 3 years chip thou

actaully the most important chip to me is the one i got
when I walked back in after i relasped.
i had to swallow my pride and earn that badboy and my ass was falling
half the damn time too.
Tell a bunch of 90 days wonders that i didn't know, that i relapsed.

Why would i do such a thing ?..they didn't know i relapsed...

NOMOMERLOTMAMMA

Ok. I think its great that you are acknowledging your recovery work. That's important. And I also think that's a positive way to view your recovery...

But, AA is a program of ABSTINENCE. The chips are a celebration of lengths of time SOBER. Could you imagine how many folks would get chips if that wasn't the case?
I'm assuming that nobody at that meeting knows that you haven't been continuously sober during those five years?

Every day that I don't have a drink is a big day for me. I look forward to picking up those chips when another month is gone, it is a motivator for me. I just picked up my 7 month chip at my home meeting, and one guy that was at my very first meeting was so friggin excited I can't even tell you. THAT'S why chips are given out.

Respectfully,

Karen

findingout

Dang! Why is it I never think of these things first? Now it's too late since SaTiT will have already gotten his hands on my millions. I feel a resentment building.

justjo

Hi Tib,
All the Best and be proud.
Jo

Peter

My AA is a programme of rigorous self honesty.....I cannot claim to have 11 years of sobriety if somewhere between those years I decided I would go out a knock back a few....AA just would not work that way for me......

Tazman53

You know this past Tuesday I gave my sponsee my 5 month chip because it has been 5 months since his last drink, I felt good passing on the truth to him. When I picked up that 5 month chip I had no had a drink in 5 months, the last thing I would ever do is pass on a lie!!!

My original sponsor who has 4 years sober passed on his one year chip to me and I was able to look him dead square in the eye when he gave it to me because I knew I honestly had not had a drink in over a year. When I spoke to the group after picking up my one year chip I was able to look every one of them straight in the eye and thank them all for helping me to not have a drink in over a year.

CarolD

Hmmm...
A huge and difficult change
for me in recovery has been to
stop lying

RufusACanal

tiberon,

When I read your posts, I am almost left with, what next? I guess redefining life to fit your specific rules even extends to recovery. Others here may pat you on the back and congratulate you for quaint and worldly insight, but I believe you seek attention, the wrong attention. Recover is about change and there is no evidence in your writing of change. You simply like to be unique. It kills me that you even have to defend yourself in this new announcement from the bad AA people who will supposedly chastise you for discovering some cool new recovery method; grow up. Your words are harmless to me, but to those who come here looking for something different, maybe something to save their lives, your words are dangerous. Oh by the way tiberon, you are not unique, if I allow myself, I can return to that behavior as can many who come here. If you cannot be a part of this community and allow the goodness that must be in you shine, why do you remain?

Doug

Nevermind. Now I understand.

Half measure's and all that.....

Good luck.

Tazman53

Doug no need working any steps if one can not be honest, simply a waste of all parties involved time.

Doug

Here's another gem by you Tib. I gotta ask though, how the hell would you know?

As I read through ALL your posts, I also gotta ask- what are you doing here? You can PM me your reply, or we can do it here. The choice is yours.

2ala2

Hey tiburon88 ,
In my book if you're attending AA meetings and looking to pick up a chip, then you have to follow the rules, not make up you're own. The rules in question are AA rules.
Get well soon.

mike_mass

Please, get real. Maybe they can give you some token of appreciation over in Moderation Management, but not AA. Every organization has its customs, who are you to bend them to your will? You mention bullies in AA, well you're just being a passive bully by pulling this charade.

best

I have a question and since you have the handle on how chips work, maybe you will be kind enough to answer it for me.

I don't remember drinking between the ages of 8 through 12.
When do I start my clean time? At age 8 or age 12?

Wow I have a lot of sober time collected. If I melt down the chips they owe me...Wow.

I just figured out something,....

When we go to AA and don't tell the truth..we can get our big cake and eat it too.


Ok seriously...

Eat as much of the cake as you want and always keep the coin in your pocket.
What you will find one day is this...
The cake may taste good going down but it will turn into a bitter feeling in your stomach one day.
The coin will never shine for you no matter how much you try to polish it. You will always be reminded of how you worked the system to get it and that feeling will follow you till the day you stand before the group and say you are sorry for having deceived yourself and others to get it.
eat the cake and one day you will find that the cake starts eating at you.
Do as you please but know that you have been warned of what is to come.
I hope you find the sober path one day. It is a great way to live and I enjoy it much.

Mar13

you had after 5 years a few beers and thats it? that very good
so you can drink with out getting drunk
i think everybody can control them selfs if they want