Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi everyone.
I may have a sponsor!!! I 've just came back from a wonderful meeting. I shared and told everyone that I was struggling at the moment as I still have my old thinking. I mentioned that I need to start doing step work and get myself a sponsor very soon. Anyway, one particular person gave me her number. I have always enjoyed her shares in the past....we didnt actuelly say the word sponsor but I think she would be happy to sponsor me!!

There were some amazing positive people there...many years of sobriety despite major events in their lives. They all said the same thing to me..step work! I feel realli inspired. i love it when meetings give me this kind of energy. You cannot beat this natural high!

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Greetings all from San Jose airport. I'm heading back to Texas, yipeeeee!
Went to a 4 pm meeting yesterday at the local Alano Club. We don't have any of those in my home area. This place sold food, soft drinks etc. Anyway it seems in California there are more drug addicts in AA . But if it works for them, then it is all good for me.
Next week I should be home and attend my regular 630am meetings. Thanks to AA for having so many opportunites for this recovering drunk to remain sober.
Have a great weekend everyone.

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Rebirth - so glad to hear that you're finally getting a sponsor -- sounds like it's someone you will click with. CPN - I'm new here (11 days AF). Couldn't help but notice that you're a fellow Texan. Nice to meet you.

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Thanks choochie and well done for 11 days!! You must be buzzing!
Hi Phil

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Rebirth - I know it's a long road, so I'm chillin.

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi all,

The week has gotten away from me but wanted to let you all know I'm doing well, attending meetings, but my sponsor is leaving for Mexico next week. We will still e-mail but it won't be the same so I need to start looking for a new sponsor.
Rebirth: so glad you may have found someone, it always helps to open up and share and often times that is when the doors open up.
Mary: I loved your posts this week: thanks for the reminders and also it is funny what people's preconcieved notions are. I am grateful I know longer have them!

Well, off to bed. I have to work all weekend so won't beable to go to my fav. sat. am meeting

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Good morning all!
It's a definite! I officially have a sponsor! And I feel so much better for it!!
AA rocks!
Have a fabulous day today. x

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

AA folks - just me here reading about your AA experiences. Always have the idea that I might attend a meeting just to see what it's like. I'm feeling so strong just from what I'm getting here at MWO but like knowing that there's more support if needed. I've already checked out where the meetings near me are. Anyway, I hope you guys will keep posting about your experiences with AA.

RB - so happy to hear you're up and running with your new sponsor!

Have a wonderful AF weekend.

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi Choochie,
I basically need as much help as possible. I need MYO and AA to keep me sober. I love the conveneience of MYO cause I can chat on here whenever. The virtual support and frienship is wonderful.
But you also cannot beat being a in room with real people and making real friendships with people who share the same problem as you do. Some of the main shares will blow you away! Whenever I feel really down I go to a meeting and garanteed there is someone worse off than me and dealing with it sober. It's really inspiring. x

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

RB - thanks for giving me more details on AA. I've thought about going just to get to know some sober people. Everyone I know drinks - so it would be great to have a friend or two who didn't - someone you could meet for coffee! Will be following you.

Hugs,
Choochie

[ready2change]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi Everyone! So happy to hear everyone is doing so well. I am on day 51 today! Havent done that since I can't even remember when. I must credit AA, because that is what I am following and mostly my cravings are gone!

I have a question regarding AA meetings. Mostly I go to what I consider my "home" group on Mon, Wed and a womens meeting on Fridays. It has a lead speaker and then they go around the room and "tag" people to speak. Mostly they never called on me because they didn't know me and they seem to call on their friends, which is fine by me because I'm not really ready to "share" yet.

My sponser is there at most meetings (it's how I met her). When she is called upon, she usually "tags" me to speak as she has told me it's important to my sobriety, so I do. At last nights womens meeting a woman came to the meeting whom I met initially when I first got serious about AA. She was a wreck, 2 children in the middle of a divorce in a new town. She comes most Fridays to the womens meeting and weeps. Well last nite she spoke at the ends "Burning Desires" to tell how her life had turned around and how happy she was! She almost made me burst with happiness for her!! When she was thru I raised my hand to speak, did the "proper" thing by thanking the leader for her share and then congratulated "pauline" on her new found freedom and happiness!! And then I went on to share that I was just about to begin step 4.

Well I had a meeting with my sponsor afterward and at the end of our meeting she asked me if I knew what "cross talking" was? I said "no". She informed me that it isn't "proper" to address any one person in the meeting (such as I had done to "pauline") and I should keep it general and speak to that person after the meeting. WTF?? I was a bit taken back by that comment, or shall I say rule. Are there really such rules? I hear people comment all the time on other persons tagged share. I'm sorry but I felt a bit chastised. Am I being sensitive? Have any of you heard of this or experienced it? Now it makes me REALLY not want to speak up a meetings for fear of not saying or following ettiquite?

Thanks,

R2C

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi R2c,
Congratulations firstly on your 51 days!
Wow. I have never been to any meeting as structured as yours. It would put me off!I would listen to the main share and thank her but I speak very freely. I dont even thank the main speaker sometimes. I have never heard of tagging either...that would have definitely put me off as a newcomer.
I am interested to hear what others have to say about your post. x

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi R2C and Rebirth - I'm not in AA (am thinking about it, though) but am reading a book that tells a lot about it. They mention that cross talking is not aloud - the author doesn't elaborate, but does mention it.

I have to say, though, if someone did that to me after a meeting it would totally deflate me - especially early on -- to be "called" on something when it takes all the guts you can muster to even be there.........jeesh!

Ok, here's what you do if that person chastises you again :lalala: (lol)

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

Hi all! Not too much posting power in me today as the world is pretty blurry after lasik (all is normal according to my follow up visit with doc!).

R2C - :yougo::yougo: on 51 Days!!!! That rocks.

Rebirth - Congrats on your sponsor!!! :yougo::yougo: That rocks too!

To my understanding, the only "rules" that govern AA in a comprehensive fashion are the 12 Traditions. I am very grateful that there is a local meeting very convenient for me where we study the traditions (and steps). There are not many meetings in my area for studying the traditions. Learning them really helps clarify questions such as this one.

Each group is free to establish their own practices in the meeting so long as those practices do not violate the 12 Traditions. That is where we see lots of variation in readings, speakers, format, etc. I also think the degree to which things like "cross talk" are accepted depends a lot on the group.

My understanding of things that might be considered "cross talk" would be interrupting someone, or giving someone direct advice during a meeting. I know those things are often frowned upon. I DO directly acknowledge people all the time when it comes to thanking the chair, thanking the person who gives the lead, congratulating people who have birthdays or anniversaries, or even saying that I can really relate to something some specific person said. I have never been chastised as "cross talking" for any of those things. (which doesn't mean I haven't been "cross talking" - it just means I don't think what I've been doing is cross talking but someone else might have a different opinion!)

That being said, if my sponsor told me that something I did was "cross talking" and I didn't understand what was really wrong with what I did, I would ask her about it. I truly believe our sponsors are there to teach us and help us. If I don't understand something, it's really up to me to ask about it. One of the things I love about AA is the respect shown to others in meetings, even when things get heated. So I would rather know if I did something that is considered out of line in a particular group than to not be told.

If I didn't like how a particular group did things, I would simply chose different meetings. That is another nice thing about AA. Also, one of my character defects is not wanting to accept constructive criticism. Instead of accepting information that I can learn and grow from, I want to get angry that I'm not considered "right" and defend my position.That quality has held me back more than once in my life. "Learn" mode is far more productive than "defense" mode for me. I am learning to accept input from my sponsor and others in AA, and that's a blessing.

Choochie, I have found it to be a HUGE benefit to go to AA and develop friendships in my local area with other like minded sober people. Like rebirth and others have said, I get a lot out of both MWO and AA. They do different things for me, and I wouldn't want to be without either one.

Cherbear, good luck on your search for a new sponsor!

Hello to everyone else. I think I'm going to take my blurry vision away from the computer now!

DG

[Choochie]

Weekly AA Thread - Oct. 11 - Oct. 17

DG - thanks for this information. I am seriously thinking about going to one. I enjoyed reading your post. I think it would help to know what to expect before going. So, thanks for this.

I think you're going to be glad you had Lasix - my husband had great luck with it!