Doug

I had an interesting day yesterday, and thought I'd share a bit, "just because".

I went to my usual 11am NA meeting, no big deal. I spent the meeting listening, closely, and had no intention of saying anything because I didn't want to get in the way of the message(s) I needed to hear at that point.

At the last minute, as the last person left, the words "showed up", and I said some things. This prompted 4 old timers, and 1 newcomer to approach me after the meeting. The oldtimers, who have been in the program since the mid 80's offered nothing but support. The newcomer told me, I could have been telling part of his story, which let him know he was in the right place. (Without trying, or thinking about it, I had helped another, and he peeked out of his shell).

Anyway, one of the "oldtimers" invited me to his house after the meeting. It was supposed to be just a short type visit, talk a bit a little more personal than you have time for at a meeting. We ended up spending 3 hours together, and covered alot of ground. One of the end results was him inviting me to a weekend 12 Step function, with him and his Sponser in mid Oct.

Also, at the end of the meeting, another of the old timers, told me he was going to an NA birthday party/bar-b-que, and invited me to go to that as well.

So I left the first house, and went to the party, met a ton of people, ate a bunch of food, played football, and then had an impromptu bonfire meeting which ended the night.

Previous to this day, I didn't know any of these people, except one, and had only seen a few around before at different meetings.

So a day that started like just about any other, ended up being an extended NA type event, where I spent all my time with a bunch of people I needed to be with. I've been asking for some help, and yesterday the gates got kicked open, and the help just poured in....

When I woke up yesterday, I had an entirely different plan for the day, that only included the 11am Meeting. One of the (many) things I learned from yesterday, is sometimes, we get what we need, in spite of ourselves.

Not to mention the benefits of practicing being "open minded".

Thanks for reading.

REZ

Sounds like these are all good developments for you. Being open to others can go a long way. Kudos

mackie

What an AWESOME post, Doug! Thanks for sharing.........sometimes it's weird how the program 'gets us' when we don't want to be 'gotten'.

Introvrtd1

........Inspiring......Looks like u have tremendous support.

Gmoney

I've heard it shared, "If you want to make God laugh...tell Him what your plans are."

The program works when we allow it to....like you said, in spite of ourselves.

Paulie

That is how it works Doug, we just have to ask.

The program is the solution, it is not the punishment. When we reach out for help, we have no idea how we are affecting not only ourselves but others.

You not only stayed clean another day, but you helped others to stay clean.

I spoke at a meeting several months ago after I was done a woman commented that she had heard so much sadness in my chair. OMG it devasted me, I cried when I got home. But then I realized she was right, her harsh comment to me affected me so deeply that I jumped back into my recovery like I had not jumped in years. And I finally was able to thank her last week for saying that to me, she had tears when I told her how much she had helped me without even knowing it.

I need that, I need honesty. I need my covers pulled when I am hiding behind them. This disease is serious to me and I need my 'fellowship' to share honestly and openly with me not only with their crap but with my crap.

Thanks for sharing this Doug, another miracle in the universe. We share the good and the bad....together.

Doug

See? You got it too. Something you needed, some help, in spite of yourself.

A reminder (for me) to be, or practice being, more open minded. Alot of the meetings I attend, being open minded often is referred to as trying to accept the Steps, or a Higher Power. (of ones own choice)

By me being more open minded about that day as a whole, several events unfolded that I couldn't have even "scripted". Which also let me be ready, willing, and able, to receive the various messages that came with the events.