zorah

i am six months sober.... i went to an aa convention this weekend with my sponsor and am thankfully home. the speakers were from out of town and shared their dramatic stories as alcoholics as well as how they've gotten their lives back due to aa. This was all good, though it did seem like the speakers were a little zealous at times. i was exhausted having to listen to speaker after speaker tell their jokes, dramatize their horrific bottoms, and narrate their painful but ultimately triumphant recoveries. in the haze, it sometimes seemed like the speaker was becoming the preacher and i wanted to bolt out the door.

i don't want to sound insensitive to the fact that this program does save lives, but this convention had the weird effect of making me want to leave. anyway, i am grateful to have meetings near my home where i can hear the wisdom of many voices. that works the best for me. someone mentioned to me a Chinese proverb that "none of us know as much as all of us." Isn't that the point?

zorah

Ohio1

I have heard some criticism of "circuit speakers" and being new to AA I have listened to a few of these guys on the internet. I'm kinda with you- they don't do much for me. I think it feels like they are almost distant- maybe as though they are preachy instead of empathetic figures. Then again I am not exactly sure what their role should be so I don't want to overstep my very early understanding of the intricacies of AA. I would personally love to go to a convention though- it seems like it would be interesting but I definitely could see several hours of speakers becoming a bit drab.

Coldfusion

Aww, come on now...

Be honest...

Wouldn't you like to get up there and have the whole world clap for you?

Sometimes it's a little story, sometimes it's a big story with horrific bottoms and painful but ultimately triumphant recoveries. Whatever, these people--and you--have done something wonderful, and deserve praise.

2granddaughters

But you didn't leave, there is the change. What would you have done in the past? What did your sponsor say when you told him/her how you felt?

AA conventions are like Buckley's ... they are horrible but they work.

The conventions will mean a lot more as you go along and get involved in AA service work.

Many at the convention heard the same speakers... some of the folks were inspired and some were bored. Same speaker... different "perceptions"

Proud of you that you stayed to get your medicine Later you will realize how good the convention was.


All the best.

Bob R

vegibean

zorah, I think I kind of get that. I went to an NA convention and it was pretty much the same, but you know what? I picked my favorite steps and went to THOSE classes/lectures and I enjoyed them. It is one of the things that I don't care for in regular meetings, they can get really heavy and for me, sometimes it's too much, and even so, hearing some of the stories makes me think about drinking. The meetings I have enjoyed the most are the Big Book meetings where it's more like a discussion and learning place. I do hope you got some things out of it though.

choublak

There's a reason the phrase "take what you want and leave the rest" exists...

Xune

This is when I like to bring out;

'To each their own.'

2granddaughters

I believe the phrase is "Take what you need and leave the rest".

Taking only what I wanted got me here.

All the best.

Bob R

Leadfoot

The point of an AA convention is probably to make money. In AA there's two people. One delivering the message and one receiving the message. In doing so the one delivering the message has added to the integrity of their sobriety. The one receiving the message? Not as much. The strength comes in delivering the message. That's the premise of the book and the philosophy of AA. It's as saying that a days success isn't measured by the harvest we reap, but the seeds that we sow. The people speaking at the convention as well as the people performing the service had their sobriety strengthened a lot more than the audience they tried to captivate.

Mark75

I don't much like the shares that get real preachy... And it seems that a convention can kinda cultivate that kind of share. Whatever. Don't go to conventions if they make you feel that way.

An analogous situation is a bluegrass festival I like to go to every year... There is the main stage and the headliners and all that... But the real is draw is out back, behind the stage in the campground... All the musician fans that just come to jam and have fellowship in music... That's where the magic happens.

Fallow

I love speakers and speaker meetings. I hope to attend a convention someday. I can imagine the preachy nature of some of those guys and ive heard some of that b4 but Ive also heard some speakers that have been very beneficial to me.

I have no clue what the point is besides staying sober.

hamabi

The first few years I was impressed with some of the convention speakers I heard, and thought I might like to do that. I did a few and found myself feeling pressure to perform. That made it not worthwhile as I don't care to perform for anyone.

One poor guy got on the convention circuit and got puffed up and then tried to kill himself. After getting sober again he started speaking at more conventions, and after doing that for a time he felt important, got drunk and jumped off a bridge. He was lucky enough to live and get sober again, but a couple of years ago I heard him speaking at a convention and the crowd loved his talk.

I thought, he's not doing himself a big favor.

Db1105

I prefer to hear someone tell their story for the first time from the heart than from some polished speech from memory. I enjoy the fellowship of conventions but irked with the sideshow, so I just avoid them.

paul99

I enjoy the conventions I have been to so far. I always volunteer as a greeter, so I get an hour or two of meeting a lot of people, many from the area, so a lot of old faces, and some new. The speakers are great - yeah, if you're used to the xa-speaker type circuit speaker, then you'll be prepared. These aren't the usual kind of things you hear at your local homegroup. Funny, I was a meeting the other day and one of the guys I heard speak at the last convention spoke at this meeting. There were several hundred people at the convention listening to him and at this meeting it was a scant two dozen. Same speech, pretty much, with the same delivery. It was fine, but seemed a bit out of place...but the message was still there.

Like others have mentioned, I just pick the speakers I want to hear, and if it's gets a bit much, I can always leave. That hasn't happened yet

sugarbear1

It's so cool to be in a room of hundreds of sober people....

paul99

There was one room with 1200 people, and I can't tell you the absolute power and love in the room when everyone said the serenity prayer at the same time.

Goosebumps to this day.

Veritas1

I am hearing judgement, which for me I am learning is playing God.

If I don't like something, I am judging. It should be this way or that way.

I cannot see the good. I miss the good.

I am not saying this is true for you, but I am hearing you judge.

I think the point of AA conventions is to hear personal stories as a testimony to what God and the program of AA can do for an alcoholic.

Threshold

I have gotten very "jaded" listening to some of the circuit speakers at conventions as well.

Some really come off as totally full of themselves and proud of their grisly horror stories etc. I end up feeling that I did my addiction badly, and don't even deserve to be there in the hallowed company of one who made such a dramatic turn around, etc etc. I mean, they even pause and wait for the anticipated laughter or whatever at certain points in their presentations.

What I really DO get a lot out of (most of the time) are the smaller group classes and discussions on particular steps or topics. I hear much more I can relate to and put into practice.

I've also had some good heart to hearts with people I've struck up conversations with. I mean some seriously GOOD stuff. Support and insight into things I've been dealing with, a sense of fellowship and caring within the community.

And some of the social events have been fun and full of good energy.

Some people are pretty open about the fact that they go to conventions to hook up with people sexually. No use beating around the bush about that. It's pretty common around here at least. I guess that's the nature of conventions for ANY organization...or so I hear. What happens at convention stays at convention.

hamabi

"Some people are pretty open about the fact that they go to conventions to hook up with people sexually."

I wasn't available, but at one convention I noticed the very striking woman sitting in the row ahead of me with her male partner. When we held hands at the end she gently kept running one finger around my palm and fingers through the closing prayer, pressing harder at times, while keeping her face blanked and forward.

It was pretty hot, but at the same time I felt very sorry for her man.