My first meeting experience in NJ was personally different from meetings down Sth
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NJ
Posts: 66
My first meeting experience in NJ was personally different from meetings down Sth
I relocated to NJ from a southern state where I first gave AA a shot. After doing great for a bit and then stumbling, I decided to check out an AA meeting in my area tonight (I slept through the SMART meeting I hoped to attend that was farther away).
It was just... different from what I originally experienced and felt when I went back down south. Nothing against the southern meetings, but down there I always felt like organized religion was tippy-toed around and it was a step meeting tonight was about people's conceptions and dealings with higher power. Hearing a lot of honestly secular viewpoints about the HP concept did me a bit of good.
Also, no chips were handed out at the end. I doubt that's a regional thing, and I honestly prefer that method. I don't mind telling how many days I have if they ask for folks with less than 30, but making a big deal about how many days or months kind of takes away from the "no day but today" method I prefer.
There was no mandated circle other than the introduction at the beginning. It was a decent-sized meeting and people rose their hands if they wanted to speak.
Further, nobody bothered me about having a sponsor. They recommended I "keep coming back" and gave me a list of numbers, but I didn't feel even the slightest pressure at all as I have in the past.
Of course, it could be that my continued struggles with and heightened consequences from drinking have just softened my general defense, as I used to be bothered by the Lord's Prayer at the end and was not so much this time (we still got in a circle and recited it).
Anyway, I'm grateful I attended and am definitely heading back tomorrow, possibly to the 7:15AM meeting if I'm awake early enough. Feels great to have stayed sober today.
It was just... different from what I originally experienced and felt when I went back down south. Nothing against the southern meetings, but down there I always felt like organized religion was tippy-toed around and it was a step meeting tonight was about people's conceptions and dealings with higher power. Hearing a lot of honestly secular viewpoints about the HP concept did me a bit of good.
Also, no chips were handed out at the end. I doubt that's a regional thing, and I honestly prefer that method. I don't mind telling how many days I have if they ask for folks with less than 30, but making a big deal about how many days or months kind of takes away from the "no day but today" method I prefer.
There was no mandated circle other than the introduction at the beginning. It was a decent-sized meeting and people rose their hands if they wanted to speak.
Further, nobody bothered me about having a sponsor. They recommended I "keep coming back" and gave me a list of numbers, but I didn't feel even the slightest pressure at all as I have in the past.
Of course, it could be that my continued struggles with and heightened consequences from drinking have just softened my general defense, as I used to be bothered by the Lord's Prayer at the end and was not so much this time (we still got in a circle and recited it).
Anyway, I'm grateful I attended and am definitely heading back tomorrow, possibly to the 7:15AM meeting if I'm awake early enough. Feels great to have stayed sober today.
Last edited by Dee74; 06-30-2010 at 09:11 PM. Reason: by request
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: NJ
Posts: 66
Hmm... if I could edit the title of this thread, I'd change it to "My first meeting experience in NJ was personally different from my experiences down South", but what's done is done.
I'm damn grateful to be sober today.
I'm damn grateful to be sober today.
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