Gforce23

I just moved here 6 months ago, so I know for a FACT I am neither important OR well known--so that's not the issue.

I am more worried about how people are going to perceive me here because I'm new. (And in case your going to bring up the whole "people seeing me stumbling home from the bar" scenario, it's been covered, and that's not really where I do most of my drinking.)

I don't want to be known when I first get somewhere as the "mom that's (possibly) in and out of A.A." Of course, I'd like to think that's within my control, but I've gone to A.A in the past and didn't exactly stick to the program. Of course, I want things to be different this time, but I think I might wait until I've got some real sober time and it's less shaky with less chance of relapse before I start going here.

That's just me.

MIRecovery

IMO some how that logic seems a bit flawed. Like taking your medicine after you have recovered from the disease.

I may have mis-read your post. If "going here" means all AA meetings then my post stands correct. If "going here" means just your local town then I mis-read it and retract my post.

Anyway just go to a meeting somewhere and I think you will like it

whiskeyman

your head is playing with you.
Stop making the movie of all the coulda, woulda, shoulda's and go.
it is our braining trying to come up with some excuse to not go.
Just bite it and go.

Gforce23

One of these days I'm going to get this whole "quote" thing down.

Gforce23

Yeah--going "here" means my town. I live in a little town near two larger towns with more meetings and INMO,, it feels more private to go to "town" as we call it. I know--I'm in a town, but the two nearby bigger towns are like one big town, so we here in the little town, call the bigger towns, Town. Whew!

Don't worry, I'm going to "Town" tomorrow night for a meeting. I think if you read my earlier posts, you would be up to speed here--I was asking people's opinion on if I should go to the one meeting where I live, though I reservations about it, (as stated above) or if I should go to meetings in the next larger town over 10 minutes away, which I have already done once.

Cheers

MIRecovery

Although I have woken in many a bed wondering how I got here and then became even more scared when I realize who I was with, I can not say I ever woke up with a prostitute and my neighbor in the same bed.

Huglets

Hi Gforce! I understand your discomfort. I too am from a somewhat smallish town that is a suburb of a large city. At first, there was NO way I would go to a meeting in my town. I would say that if you're more comfortable attending a meeting further from home, then go for it. Nothing wrong with it.

I was 4 days sober when a woman I met at my first AA meeting took me to an anniversary dinner about 45 minutes from where I live. Lo and behold, I ran into a woman I knew from a restaurant I used to frequent for my liquid lunches. I had always thought she was a horrible waitress because she could never bring my alcohol fast enough. After all, my lunch was only an hour and I wanted to drink as much as I could.

It during the sobriety countdown that I learned she was celebrating her 30 days' of sobriety. Turns out she probably WASN'T a terrible waitress. She was probably just in the same amount of pain that I was suffering. All of a sudden I wasn't even embarrassed anymore. We were both there to help us manage our mutual killer - alcohol.

I'm not sure there's much of a point to my story, other than after 2 years of AA meetings I don't care who I run into at a meeting. I'm proud of my sobriety. I now attend all sorts of meetings - both in-town and outside of town. I haven't run across anyone who has broken my anonymity. I have greeted, spoken to and laughed with many AA people when I run into them in public. We don't even mention AA. We just shoot the bull about various topics. Sure there's a few bad apples, but from my experience us AA folks love to support each other.

I wish you all the best. Keep at it - you are worth it.