Wearing Off
A friend was beating herself up that she kept forgetting everything that she hears in the rooms and has to keep coming back to be reminded. I reminded her that, just like the drugs, the meetings wear off and that is why we keep coming back.
2009
Thank you to all my readers and those of you who have left comments. I have enjoyed writing this blog so far and shall continue next year. I have an average of 16 visitors a day and that makes it more than worth it.
Very Apt For Some
“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
– Mark Twain
A Perfect Meeting
It was busy but not rammed. The chair gave a strong message and the sharing back was just as strong. There was honesty, courage and hope. There was a good balance of men and women, which is rare in NA, and a good amount of money for the pot. I felt fantastic as I left, having secured a chair for my meeting, and my only regret was not saying good-bye to someone.
Hate
I have got the odd comment from someone who seems to hate the fellowships – he has set up a blog slating them all and seems to be putting a lot of energy into this project. It appears to be a total waste of time and energy – all I can say is ‘take what you like and leave the rest’.
Different Fellowships
You get more hugs in NA, handshakes in AA. You get less relapse in AA and more wisdom than NA, although there tends to be more talk about the programme and less about feelings. Al-Anon is both loving and sad – you get so much warmth in the rooms yet you tend to get more pain and trauma. And if you get to FA you find warmth mixed with total confusion. I haven’t been or needed to go to any of the other fellowships – yet.
Chair
I had forgotten that I said I would do the chair. So I sat down and then was summoned to the chair seat. It was good to go over things again – every time my chair is quite different and reflects where I am at at the moment. I spoke a lot about sitting in defects and why – and also about gratitude. The AA meeting on Christmas day was full of gratitude and I understand why. After all it is said that if you continue to come to meetings one’s obsession to drink/use will be lifted. And it is true – it is so simple and that was one of the reasons for all the gratitude.
Sitting In My Defects
My sponsor has left me to sit in my defects. I can see how and why this works – I can’t just intellectualise them. I was speaking with someone from the rooms yesterday who asked if I found Six and Seven more painful that Four/Five. I had to say yes. I then had a quick read of the NA Green And Gold to see how it interpreted it. I liked what it said that you can use Step Six to see what kind of person you would like to become.
Dance Music
I’ve re-kindled my love of dance music – I can hear it for what I loved about it in the first place. It was uncompromising and up lifting. It is also the most progressive music around and it is great that I can be moved by the music that I took most of my drugs to.
Holding Tight
“Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense
muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth.
Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in
your life.”
– Joan Lunden
Free Recovery?
Thanks for this C:
http://recoveryboy.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/jnt-18-20-m25.jpg
Happy Christmas
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
If you’re in trouble remember you can call the help-lines for AA/NA. You can find the links on the side of my blog. And there are continual one hour meetings at Flood Street til 9.30 this evening.
Christmas Time
It is often an awkward time in families – mine not excepted. We just have to accept events as they unfold and not get caught up in any games. I have friends in London to see and I shall take myself down to the all day open AA meeting at Flood Street. Be with my kind.
leave a comment