Alcohol Recovery Blog... Well, not so much any more. I've lost all of my support over the last several years obviously. Nobody wants to go head to head with the Anti/XAers anymore. Seems that most have jumped off of the A.A. "bandwagon" all together. I've lost my resolve as well. Still sober 20+ years though. So there is that.
If you were to chair an A.A. meeting tonight, what would your topic be?
Maybe recite or recall a current and relevant passage out of the 164, state your current experience with it and/or the step it entails and share your current esh (experience strength and hope).
Tolerance, patience, and acceptance come to mind right now. And that's in dealing with people who have none. What comes naturally to me in dealing with the shit life throws at us unfortunately doesn't come so easily with my two daughters out here.
I empathize with the pressure the one opening the Pastry Shop is under right now, but this woman has taken the term "whine" to a whole new level. And although things are going reasonably smoothly, she still finds shit to complain about. It takes a bit of restraint on my part not to smack her upside the head sometimes.
As I said previously, the folks in AA seem to handle life a lot better, even though their lives in general are much worse than most. Says a lot for the program. I guess that's what fathers are for - to be there to be bitched at about how hard an easy life is.
Well I chaired tonight and I read from the 10 step. I started off with the 10th Step promises, then went back and read the crop report stuff... watch ask discuss... then the paragraph on turn... then carry.
My specific topic was, "Where do you fit this 10th Step" into your regime? Do you fit it in right in the morning during your "On awakening"? Or do you do it constantly? Are you one of those scary folks who do all 12 steps at the same time all the time? Or have you been slacking... blowing the 10th Step off a bit as of late?
One thing apparent about this step is the level of grace that comes with the states of consciousness in this step. Either you've got it or you don't. You're either here or you're not. You can't just wish for neutrality and expect it to fall on you. If you do certain things, you get to this spot.
If you got it, milk it for all it's worth, I say. If not, don't panic. Identify where you're at, point yourself in the right direction, and do what you need to do. I think I've recently come through the process of needing to become genuine... as in getting my own experience and plotting out my own life, then the process of needing approval... which sucks... then getting to the spot where you see things come and go. When things come, it's wonderful... like harvest. but when they go, you must regroup, rest, and in time, things begin to spring up again... anew and fresh.
I'd tell them I got so free by doing the work that I walked from AA and have never been happier. (I'm sure that would go over well). Hope you guys have a good Memorial day weekend. carry on.
Haven't been here in a while, so how is everyone doing. Hope all is well. So what would the topic be? Remember that AA is but one tool that helped change your life, do not grow dependent on this one tool and forget there are more tools for you find. Remember you found AA now continue to search. Eleventh and Twelfth steps. Like Rob I walked out of AA and have not felt the need to go backwards.
Totally bad choice of words to use (backwards) when speaking with folks who really don't know me. Mc, I am surely not better then you and do not want to imply this. AA saved my life my gratitude is there. I went through the 12 steps and I am now practicing them in my life. I have never been one to submit to the thought process that if you didn't have a set amount of meeting you were attending you would die. That is treatment center babble and I was in fear of this shit for to long. AA teaches us to be free of fear, not dependency. I meet with a group of men on Sunday mornings at a coffee house, some are new to recovery (AA/NA) some are old members(one member 54 years. Some still attend AA/NA and some of us don't. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
Easy Patrick, Don't read what isn't there. I won't presume I know Claude or his intent.You know me well enough,If I had something say I'd say it directly, I don't do passive aggressive.
AA saved my life, it got me connected to God. I think "real 12 step AA" is fantastic and the only thing I've ever seen work for certain types.
My current experience is that I have had a spiritual awakening sufficient to recover from alcoholism. I have been able to maintain this without attending a meeting for the past 6 months. If I am moved to return to AA I will do so. I wont consider it a backward or forward move.I've drop a lot of labeling and judgement from my vocab and thinking mind. Good, bad, right, wrong, just words, it's all about perspective.
As far as AA being for losers, I sure wasn't "winning" when I crawled through the door. have a good weekend.
Just stirring the pot Rob. A little slow in here... just messin' around a bit.
Maybe I should feel fortunate I belong to a small group that I do... one that ain't too popular with the other 99.9998% groups that call themselves A.A. But we are having a kick and I wish y'all could join us sometime.
Claude... for some reason, I can't comment in nested comments from my own computer, but I can only do so on my Droid Stupidphone... so I'll comment here;
As I said to Rob, I'm just stirring the pot here. What you or Rob or Jim or Colter or Rotten Ralph, etc. are doing with A.A. or without it is none of my business.
The anti/XAers have opened my mind to a new concept... there's no wrong way to get and stay sober.
This for me includes my personal inclusion of the A.A. program.
I think that maybe 70% or more of the "news" about A.A. that the anti-XAers spin about the bad of A.A. is bullshit and agenda'd politics. I don't know why they would waste their time doing this... but I just know in my experience and observations of the good bad and ugly of A.A. that it isn't as bad as they say and I also believe that much fewer folks are force to A.A. at gunpoint.
That being the case, our problems are STILL OF OUR OWN MAKING... regardless of the bullshit that A.A. adopts from treatment centers, therapists, the pharm community, etc.
I can go to good A.A. meeting and bad ones alike, and not get molested, raped, ripped off, miffed, etc. I've grown some thick skin in life and it didn't all happen within the walls of A.A.
It's interesting that since I've been on the left coast my meeting attendance has dropped from 6-7 a week to one every ten days, but I'm comfortable with that. Perhaps it's as Rob said, the spiritual awakening I got from AA is sufficient to carry me without a bunch of meetings every week.
If and when I ever get back to Virginia I'll probably go back to my old schedule, but mostly for the fellowship and to get with all the friends I have there in the program.
If I were to stay in LA (and my schedule became a lot less hectic), I don't know if I'd ever go back to nightly meetings. I just don't feel the need at this point.
There are some good meetings around here, but I just don't feel the need that I used to. My sobriety is pretty well grounded right now.
12 th step after having had a spiritual awaking as the result of these steps I have to carry this message to the still suffering alcoholic where would we be if bill and bob had not did this to bill d and the rest god bless
Amen brother. We continue to attend meetings to carry the message of what was so freely given to us. A.A. is not intended to be therapy, like attend when you need some pick-me-up.
when I entered the meeting today, there wasnt a chairman..So, someone said " u get up there" to me....and I did.....totally thrown off guard, i opened the big book and begin to skim through as "how it works" and the twelve traditions were read.....then it popped out ...Page 55 "FAITH"..about half way down...'Imagine a life without faith'....and on into the middle of the next page...unbeknownst to me someone brought up the point that tomorrows daily reflection picked up the same passage, pg 55....divine intervention thru and thru
Tolerance, patience, and acceptance come to mind right now. And that's in dealing with people who have none. What comes naturally to me in dealing with the shit life throws at us unfortunately doesn't come so easily with my two daughters out here.
ReplyDeleteI empathize with the pressure the one opening the Pastry Shop is under right now, but this woman has taken the term "whine" to a whole new level. And although things are going reasonably smoothly, she still finds shit to complain about. It takes a bit of restraint on my part not to smack her upside the head sometimes.
As I said previously, the folks in AA seem to handle life a lot better, even though their lives in general are much worse than most. Says a lot for the program. I guess that's what fathers are for - to be there to be bitched at about how hard an easy life is.
Well I chaired tonight and I read from the 10 step. I started off with the 10th Step promises, then went back and read the crop report stuff... watch ask discuss... then the paragraph on turn... then carry.
ReplyDeleteMy specific topic was, "Where do you fit this 10th Step" into your regime? Do you fit it in right in the morning during your "On awakening"? Or do you do it constantly? Are you one of those scary folks who do all 12 steps at the same time all the time? Or have you been slacking... blowing the 10th Step off a bit as of late?
One thing apparent about this step is the level of grace that comes with the states of consciousness in this step. Either you've got it or you don't. You're either here or you're not. You can't just wish for neutrality and expect it to fall on you. If you do certain things, you get to this spot.
If you got it, milk it for all it's worth, I say. If not, don't panic. Identify where you're at, point yourself in the right direction, and do what you need to do. I think I've recently come through the process of needing to become genuine... as in getting my own experience and plotting out my own life, then the process of needing approval... which sucks... then getting to the spot where you see things come and go. When things come, it's wonderful... like harvest. but when they go, you must regroup, rest, and in time, things begin to spring up again... anew and fresh.
I'd tell them I got so free by doing the work that I walked from AA and have never been happier. (I'm sure that would go over well). Hope you guys have a good Memorial day weekend. carry on.
ReplyDeleteEffin' A it's Rob!
ReplyDeleteHaven't been here in a while, so how is everyone doing. Hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteSo what would the topic be?
Remember that AA is but one tool that helped change your life, do not grow dependent on this one tool and forget there are more tools for you find. Remember you found AA now continue to search. Eleventh and Twelfth steps.
Like Rob I walked out of AA and have not felt the need to go backwards.
Totally bad choice of words to use (backwards) when speaking with folks who really don't know me.
DeleteMc, I am surely not better then you and do not want to imply this. AA saved my life my gratitude is there. I went through the 12 steps and I am now practicing them in my life. I have never been one to submit to the thought process that if you didn't have a set amount of meeting you were attending you would die. That is treatment center babble and I was in fear of this shit for to long. AA teaches us to be free of fear, not dependency.
I meet with a group of men on Sunday mornings at a coffee house, some are new to recovery (AA/NA) some are old members(one member 54 years. Some still attend AA/NA and some of us don't.
I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
So you guys feel that A.A. is for losers?
ReplyDeleteHow nice. I wonder if y'all are going to start up a new "Winners" program. Give me an invite sometime. I'll check it out. Not.
Easy Patrick,
ReplyDeleteDon't read what isn't there. I won't presume I know Claude or his intent.You know me well enough,If I had something say I'd say it directly, I don't do passive aggressive.
AA saved my life, it got me connected to God. I think "real 12 step AA" is fantastic and the only thing I've ever seen work for certain types.
My current experience is that I have had a spiritual awakening sufficient to recover from alcoholism. I have been able to maintain this without attending a meeting for the past 6 months. If I am moved to return to AA I will do so. I wont consider it a backward or forward move.I've drop a lot of labeling and judgement from my vocab and thinking mind. Good, bad, right, wrong, just words, it's all about perspective.
As far as AA being for losers, I sure wasn't "winning" when I crawled through the door. have a good weekend.
we All do passive-aggressive
Deletewe All do passive-aggressive
DeleteJust stirring the pot Rob. A little slow in here... just messin' around a bit.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should feel fortunate I belong to a small group that I do... one that ain't too popular with the other 99.9998% groups that call themselves A.A. But we are having a kick and I wish y'all could join us sometime.
Y'all have a nice weekend too.
That's cool, no harm no foul. I am glad you have found a safe haven,your group sounds like one I would enjoy and learn from, very rare.
ReplyDeleteClaude... for some reason, I can't comment in nested comments from my own computer, but I can only do so on my Droid Stupidphone... so I'll comment here;
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Rob, I'm just stirring the pot here. What you or Rob or Jim or Colter or Rotten Ralph, etc. are doing with A.A. or without it is none of my business.
The anti/XAers have opened my mind to a new concept... there's no wrong way to get and stay sober.
This for me includes my personal inclusion of the A.A. program.
I think that maybe 70% or more of the "news" about A.A. that the anti-XAers spin about the bad of A.A. is bullshit and agenda'd politics. I don't know why they would waste their time doing this... but I just know in my experience and observations of the good bad and ugly of A.A. that it isn't as bad as they say and I also believe that much fewer folks are force to A.A. at gunpoint.
That being the case, our problems are STILL OF OUR OWN MAKING... regardless of the bullshit that A.A. adopts from treatment centers, therapists, the pharm community, etc.
I can go to good A.A. meeting and bad ones alike, and not get molested, raped, ripped off, miffed, etc. I've grown some thick skin in life and it didn't all happen within the walls of A.A.
It's interesting that since I've been on the left coast my meeting attendance has dropped from 6-7 a week to one every ten days, but I'm comfortable with that. Perhaps it's as Rob said, the spiritual awakening I got from AA is sufficient to carry me without a bunch of meetings every week.
ReplyDeleteIf and when I ever get back to Virginia I'll probably go back to my old schedule, but mostly for the fellowship and to get with all the friends I have there in the program.
If I were to stay in LA (and my schedule became a lot less hectic), I don't know if I'd ever go back to nightly meetings. I just don't feel the need at this point.
There are some good meetings around here, but I just don't feel the need that I used to. My sobriety is pretty well grounded right now.
12 th step after having had a spiritual awaking as the result of these steps I have to carry this message to the still suffering alcoholic where would we be if bill and bob had not did this to bill d and the rest god bless
ReplyDeleteAmen brother. We continue to attend meetings to carry the message of what was so freely given to us. A.A. is not intended to be therapy, like attend when you need some pick-me-up.
Deletewhen I entered the meeting today, there wasnt a chairman..So, someone said " u get up there" to me....and I did.....totally thrown off guard, i opened the big book and begin to skim through as "how it works" and the twelve traditions were read.....then it popped out ...Page 55 "FAITH"..about half way down...'Imagine a life without faith'....and on into the middle of the next page...unbeknownst to me someone brought up the point that tomorrows daily reflection picked up the same passage, pg 55....divine intervention thru and thru
ReplyDelete