courage2

I hope I never gave a drunkalogue as a speaker. We all have so much of the Experience part, and we're so fascinated with ourselves LOL -- it's hard to resist. But what's there to learn from? Bad ideas don't teach how to have good ones.

Even so, I'm glad you got in *both* a meeting and a jumping-party, JL!

stargazer016

Went to a lunch time meeting today. As it was, it was a "Traditions" meeting discussing one of the 12 traditions. I still related to the shares and was glad to attend. Totally different vibe from my previous meeting. And not a cuss word, lol.

Enjoy the afternoon all!

gleefan

Fbl - I’m glad Fern has a beautiful service.

SG - It took me a while to fully relate to the literature. A gentleman who was usually fairly quiet opened up one day about the inner peace and self esteem he had as a result of the program. I could tell he was sharing straight from the heart. I thought that any program that could offer that was worth a try. When I stopped rolling my eyes at the old timey language, and stopped sneering at the program slogans, and started trying to understand it and embrace it, I benefited. For me, recovery has been a series of awakenings with diligent work in between. Like I come here everyday even when nothing happened. If I think hard enough I can usually think of a way recovery touched my life that day.

JL - I hope you’re feeling better today! AA is such a nice boost. My uncle was a firefighter in an impoverished urban area. I know he credits AA keeping him sane through all the tragedy. When he retired he became a counselor at a drug and alcohol rehab facility.

Courage - Said uncle has massive amounts of recovery under his belt, but I’ve never told him that I’m in recovery, much less the program. Do I shut people out, or is he not safe to tell? Dunno.

Gilmer - Are you head’s down with school at the moment?

Carlos - I love, love, love that you heard from your oldest! A huge thing to be thankful for!

Dee - Thanks for keeping an eye on us.

Have a good evening everyone.

Gilmer

I’m in the final quarter of this class. I can actually see progress, and there have been a couple of encouraging things lately. Two weeks left of lessons, then the final and then a paper. Then done by Christmas.

FBL

Have a great Tuesday, gang!

stargazer016

This is beautifully written and really hits home for me, thanks Glee. I too am wondering a little about the stilted writings and some of the slogans and rituals, but the folks I have met at these meetings have had their lives changed for the better. Whom am I to judge? Take what you need and leave the rest. I seem to feel a very powerful, stabilizing feeling of peace after attending a meeting. Maybe, just maybe, I am on to something?

I think my recovery was a series of awakenings with diligent work in between. I stopped doing any work recently, so, not surprisingly, I haven't felt any personal awakenings flow over me like in the early sobriety years. Perhaps going to meetings will be the spark to ignite both personal growth and a reawakening inside me.

The whole sponsor idea and working on the steps is too foreign and radical an idea for me to wrap my head around at this time. Yet, I feel uniquely compelled to attend meetings, and am disappointed my work schedule won't allow me to do so until this weekend.

Thank you for shining a light down a hallway that I need to investigate.

Best wishes for a great day all!

courage2

The thing about the slogans is they sound so stupid and... slogan-y... but there's a nugget in each of them. I used to set up the room for my homegroup & put the slogans out for display -- they were funky old semi-laminated cardboard things with wobbly cardboard easel backs, at least 30 years old, and there were lots of them, like 11. The table only had room for 3 and one of the high points of setting up -- there were so many! -- was choosing which got pride of place on the table, and which ended up propped up on the windowsill or along the baseboard of the -- of course -- church basement.

JL2014

When newcomers come in, our meetings will swap to a step 1 meeting, or the like. I always try to share my crazy head attitudes about slogans, at first. I even grew up hearing them in meetings my parents went to “ for my brother”. Lol
I’ll recall how stupid, hokey, whatever. Now I couldn’t go without em. I’m so happy to be wrong, these days !!

courage2

Big thumbs up!

stargazer016

Late night of work, but ended up well. Drinking urges have greatly lessened and I think my issues may be more depression centered than I initially realized. At times I was unsure if I drank so much because I was depressed, or if drinking so much caused my depression. I know my depressive states have greatly lessened in duration and frequency since I stopped drinking until recently. Fortunately, I have a doctor appointment next week and I will get his advice on possible courses of action.

Let me be the first to wish everyone a wonderful Hump Day!

Gilmer

I’m glad, SG. It could well be a depression!

I hope you all have a good day/evening today.

FBL

Best of luck with the doc, Star!

Have a great Wednesday, friends!

courage2

Seems like a good idea to talk to a doctor, SG.

I made a dr's appt too. I don't have a regular dr -- occasionally I've seen my son's dr, but he's a little odd -- he had the unusual honor of being physician to the Black Panthers in his youth -- anyway, I thought I should go more mainstream. So it's a "new patient" visit, with the complaint "neck pain."

Does that describe what I have or what I am?

Gilmer

LOL!

It’s strictly a pleasure dealing with you, Cour, not a pain!

But your neck is worrisome, and I’m glad you’re seeing the doctor about it.

JL2014

SG, I’m glad you’re going to the Doc.

I tried to come off a med I’d taken for years, while drinking, thinking ALL my issues were from drinking only. (HA !). After 2 weeks I cussed so bad even my dog was ashamed ! Lol
Now, farther along, I’m very much better off, as my thinking has changed and eased up.
A real character of a older guy who’s known for a very unstable mental state, but lives well with a program, told me “ Man, NEVER quit taking your crazy pills. Uh, uh, don’t. “. Made me laugh at my thinking, I’m “well”.
Rambling, sorry.
I hope good things for your visit !

IWLSAST

Oh, Glee, sweetie...I am pretty sure that I've not bent anyone's ear more than yours as I navigate the trials and tribulations with LRCB.

It was a sweet note and quite unexpected. What is really helping now is the recovery principal that I need not have any expectations beyond that note. Crazy, but it really seems to be working.

What do they say....Time Takes Time

Cour, best with that neck pain visit. I have a pain in my neck from time to time and if they cut me open they would find a pic of.......kidding. Glad you are next stepping this pain.

Star, AA meetings for me are always a quest to find nuggets. Additionally, there are few of those nuggets that I left in the rooms those early days that now seem to make perfect sense. I love AA...and I'm on an extended break from my home group. Andy, a real old timer from PA said at like every share he offered- meeting makers make it. I agree.

Busy day and time for some mindless netflix.

gleefan

Courage - That is old-timey font perfection! My favorite slogans are ‘one day at a time’ and ‘this too shall pass.’

Carlos - You truly are a kindred spirit, a brotha from another mother. I kid you not I just used the [/U]exact same wording[/U], referreing to finding “nuggets” in AA meetings.

stargazer016

I bet that doctor could really tell some crazy stories. I am glad you are getting your neck pain checked out!

Just got home and I will be back for another ten hours in ten hours!
I should probably get some sleep as soon as I wind down.

Sweet dreams everyone!

FBL

Meeting with the IT guy soon to set up our new computer server. The old one lasted 10 years, hopefully this one will last even longer.

Have a great day, fellow Posties!

stargazer016

Good luck with the server FBL. Ten years is like thirty years in computer world. Still punching IBM cards, lol?

Best wishes for a good day all.