An interesting opportunity...
Next stop: real life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 990
An interesting opportunity...
Just wanted to get you folks' take on this before I commit to anything. There's a girl in my town doing a photo project entitled "But You Don't LOOK Sick: The Faces of Invisible Illness." It's all about legitimizing those illnesses that aren't apparent on first glance. I'm relatively open about my alcoholism, and I really believe that the only way to de-stigmatize the disease is to show people that addicts can be "normal" people. So I'm thinking about volunteering to sit for one of her shoots. Just wondering what you folks thought.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 12,136
I think it's a great idea, too.
I went to our Science Centre recently with my daughter, and one exhibit had photographs of several people of varying gender and race. You had to pick up a telephone handset and listen to a recording of someone talking, then press the button underneath the photo of who you thought it was. Based on what I saw and heard, I made my choices and made several wrong ones. It proved to me that what I see and/or hear is not always an accurate reflection of the truth.
Let us know what you decide.
I went to our Science Centre recently with my daughter, and one exhibit had photographs of several people of varying gender and race. You had to pick up a telephone handset and listen to a recording of someone talking, then press the button underneath the photo of who you thought it was. Based on what I saw and heard, I made my choices and made several wrong ones. It proved to me that what I see and/or hear is not always an accurate reflection of the truth.
Let us know what you decide.
Next stop: real life
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 990
To be honest, most of my hesitation is because I know what my mother will say when I tell her about the project. Way to be a grownup, right? 
C23: I'm fat too, that's not stopping me!
Ro, that sounds like a really neat exhibit!
C23: I'm fat too, that's not stopping me!
Ro, that sounds like a really neat exhibit!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The Swish Alps, SF CA
Posts: 2,144
If it won't affect your professional standing or reputation....
I'd also seek my spouse's and children's approval as my decision could affect them.
Personally, I wouldn't do it, but that's because I have found, for me, The Traditions in AA seem to work for me in my personal life, as in when I go against them, it doesn't turn out well for me. Although they were set up to have AA have a "set of rules" in an anarchy, they were hard learned lessons, and I have found that they work for me as guidelines for my life as well. They are good, common sense decisions.
I don't mean that I would be going against the traditions if I were to do this, but I have found that "the traditions" are a good guideline for my life as well, personal autonomy, being self supportive etc.
My anonymity is an "open secret" and I was a very "public face" of AA for many years in a small town, and was able to help others because of that, but I personally wouldn't allow someone to take a photo of me and label me an alcoholic in it.
My Grandsponsor used to HAMMER me with "Don't lead with your chin" and the whole key to staying sober was by a spiritual answer, and anonymity was the foundation of spirituality.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions,
Once again, I am only saying I wouldn't do it, and trying to explain why, I'm not saying that YOU shouldn't do it, I think it's a great idea, but I like anonymity being a spiritual foundation, not so anonymous my girlfriend doesn't know who I am, but low key, I spent enough of my life tooting my own horn.
Also, while I do in fact share here frequently, Not only my "solution" but my difficulties, I generally only listen to "experience, strength, and hope, and not "opinion" or "advice", as in "this is what you should do"
No offense but we are here because we have all proven we can't run some aspect of our own lives, I would think carefully before listening to "opinion" or "advice" given here, rather then "experience, strength, and hope" which is the language of recovery, not "advice or opinion", it's my experience that an opinion based on an actual event that took place in someones life is always more helpful for me to hear and has more "real world" value.
Advice and opinion is many times people "shooting from the hip" and not thinking things through, and/or based on "in a perfect world" thinking.
Anyhow, God Bless whatever you decide to do, just some things to think about. Once again, I think it's great you are doing this, I am just listing why I wouldn't.
I'd also seek my spouse's and children's approval as my decision could affect them.
Personally, I wouldn't do it, but that's because I have found, for me, The Traditions in AA seem to work for me in my personal life, as in when I go against them, it doesn't turn out well for me. Although they were set up to have AA have a "set of rules" in an anarchy, they were hard learned lessons, and I have found that they work for me as guidelines for my life as well. They are good, common sense decisions.
I don't mean that I would be going against the traditions if I were to do this, but I have found that "the traditions" are a good guideline for my life as well, personal autonomy, being self supportive etc.
My anonymity is an "open secret" and I was a very "public face" of AA for many years in a small town, and was able to help others because of that, but I personally wouldn't allow someone to take a photo of me and label me an alcoholic in it.
My Grandsponsor used to HAMMER me with "Don't lead with your chin" and the whole key to staying sober was by a spiritual answer, and anonymity was the foundation of spirituality.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions,
Once again, I am only saying I wouldn't do it, and trying to explain why, I'm not saying that YOU shouldn't do it, I think it's a great idea, but I like anonymity being a spiritual foundation, not so anonymous my girlfriend doesn't know who I am, but low key, I spent enough of my life tooting my own horn.
Also, while I do in fact share here frequently, Not only my "solution" but my difficulties, I generally only listen to "experience, strength, and hope, and not "opinion" or "advice", as in "this is what you should do"
No offense but we are here because we have all proven we can't run some aspect of our own lives, I would think carefully before listening to "opinion" or "advice" given here, rather then "experience, strength, and hope" which is the language of recovery, not "advice or opinion", it's my experience that an opinion based on an actual event that took place in someones life is always more helpful for me to hear and has more "real world" value.
Advice and opinion is many times people "shooting from the hip" and not thinking things through, and/or based on "in a perfect world" thinking.
Anyhow, God Bless whatever you decide to do, just some things to think about. Once again, I think it's great you are doing this, I am just listing why I wouldn't.
Last edited by Ago; 02-26-2009 at 02:08 AM.
Living in sobriety
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,870
Never in a million years did I think I'd be volunteering to have my picture taken. Sobriety does crazy things
I think its a fab idea.....and will help with the ignorance around alcoholism. If it makes you feel good and sits ok with you then then go for it...
Its true we members of A.A are anonymous at the level of press, radio and tv. but Im sure you will not be promoting A.A. I dont even know if you are in A.A tellus.....
We have a lot of singers, actors famous people in our country who talk about their illness on radio and tv, but they just don't mention A.A. some are members, some arent.
Your illness is not a secret
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