Homework, laziness, playtime, and changes...
After a week resting on my laurels, I dig in to the pile of reading due on Monday for my Meso-American Studies class. I'll get that done easily enough and then work on the backlog of philosophical work I need to resolve. I read for about 3 hours today, and will do the same tomorrow and Sunday. I'll start on the other stuff Monday. No worries.
The past week was spent playing around with model airplanes and going to some incredible AA meetings. I am so grateful to be sober, serene sometimes, and usually happy, joyous, and free. Because of this sobrity thing I am able to address life-threatening health issues with sense and aplomb, changing my eating habits, adjusting my excersize routine, and generally not being afraid of that change.
Haikus on Tuesday---a double batch, I promise!
I have been missed at my homegroup in the past 2 weeks, and this morning I was telephoned by one of the members, a fellow that I respect very much if only for his cool and level head. He was relieved to find out about my speaking commitment this week and my visit with my father the week before. I asked him what was going on and he told me about a very long business meeting that I also missed. It seems that some folks are becoming unhappy about newcomers, especially folks from rehabs, sharing about the 'mess' and not the 'message'. This is an old saw, and not one to get hung up about, or leave on account of. We talked for a while and both of us agreed that newcomers have nothing else to share about except the mess. Even in my own story, I am only now slowly moving away from a drunkalogue as I build a sober history of recovery with which to reference. This fellow agreed that it is a natural occurance for newcomers to share this way, and also for some folks to become 'bleeding deacons' about it. This will take months to resolve, and in that time, if folks do what they are supposed to do* , more will be revealed, resentments will dissolve, and the group will remain the strong and vibrant group I love. The last thing the group needs is people jumping ship, depriving those who need their kindness, calm, and wisdom a chance to ask them for help. In the words of Ben Franklin, "We must all hang together, or surely we'll all hang seperately." This kind of 'group shake-up' is also nothing new to the rooms, and is always greeted with this kind of chatter. It's healthy. It's good for everyone. Breathe deeply and remember that everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
Johnnyboy
*Don't drink, go to meetings, talk to your sponsor, practice acceptance, read some AA lit.
posted by John D.C. Masters @ 3/24/2006
1 Comments:
I understand your point of view. However you haven't been dealing with these people for as many years as I have. I'm tired of fighting with them, of it always being personalities over principles. You've no idea the quality of sobriety that stopped coming years ago because of those personality issues. They don't want anyone sharing their problems in the meeting anymore. They only want to hear happy, joyous and free as if once you get sober, you never have a problem again. Not only that, the person who brought this up wants us then to take this way of running a meeting to the other area meetings to try to make them change too. It's ridiculous.
I'll wait to see what happens, but so far the majority appears in favor of the new rule. If it passes, I'm going to a meeting where helping the newcomer doesn't consist of telling them to shut up or feel unwelcome. Funny, my weekend meetings (with less structure and where people are allowed to share what's on their mind) are always filled with laughter and joy. No need to force it there.
You forgot to list the most important thing: work the steps!
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