Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

[rebirth]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Dg Sounds like a good plan. Count me in. It would give me more incentive to read the BB as I still dont read enough.

I bet Stepcoach was absolutely thrilled to be holding his coin..Bless him. Got a bit choked when I read that...

Mary There seems to be alot of people who started drinking much later in life. My mentor didnt drink for over twenty years and started back again recently. nOt making any sense here. just thinking out loud

[catch22]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hi Everyone,

It good to read all through your post, got to say DG wish i could come with you to the murder mystery dinner party i would love that now that im sober....
Rebirth, The bb there is lots of stuff i have highlighted, one that come to my mind is jay walker, also the first charpter i love DR Bob, there is so much i love going to my Book Big study. Also like DG said your sponsor could be busy so hold on im sure she will get back to you.
Taking about Jay walking got a little story to share, i added someone on my f/b going back a few months now someone recommend him, called jay walker and i thought it was the guy that took the bb study and when i ask him he give me a funny look and said that he doesn't use the pc, I can laugh about it now, i shared this y/day outside the meeting made ppl really laugh . Then someone said have you read sally in the bb when her name is read out the guys laugh about it , does anyone know what they mean by this?
Some guy shared the other day how nervous he was to read out, i can remember how nervous i was and still am,i always use to get just that little bit late to a meeting so they would not ask me and one day i was rushing up the stairs and bump into the guy that took the meeting 6ft tall me 5ft got me by surprize and i said yes could not believe, he give me the last reading at the end, all through that meeting i was panicing and not thinking straight, but now when i go bb study i make sure i read even if it just a little bit.
Love the reading stepping into the sunlight tead it twic in the morning and now again
I did my step 4 the other day it was very draining my sponsor i was drained by it all:H she said go home and have a bath and relax but i got home, and had a big appetite it was weird because i had breakfast already before and had a second lot but a fry up this time round it feel like when your ill ill and they get there appetite back that how i felt, it was a good feeling.
What ever happens i will always read this thread, even when am not posting am here somewhere.
Take good care everyone and keep safe,:h:l

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

DG, I'm for anything you suggest. So bring it on.
Mary, that was me too, not much effect physically from 8 to 12 beers a day, but it was kicking my butt spiritually.
Glad I don't have to live that way today.

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hi Everyone!

really late posting this week sorry but I'm doing well and enjoying sobriety!

Funny, Mary.. you started out with talking about going to drinking functions. holiday etc.. and I just returned from an annual event I have always gone to with my girlfriends where drinking really is the focus, even though we were supposed to be there for a fundraiser dinner and I found my self having a hard time enjoying myself sober. I kept wondering why I was there standing out in the rain freezing my tail off drinking selzer water. My friends are really normy drinkers and I usually don't mind doing stuff with them but this particular event is much more drinking focused. so I found myself wondering if I will really want to go next year and then worrying if my friends will think I'm not as fun anymore?


I would love to be involved with a bb study. I go to one on Monday nights and love it. It sounds like we are throwing the chair to DG????

Rebirth: hang in there!!! Your sponsor may be extra busy right now. I have an AA friend who went through some stuff with her sponsor re: her not responding quick enough etc. I know I am realizing my expectations of people will get me in trouble.. like wanting to drink.

[dancelot]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

DG - I like the BB study idea! Should it maybe have it's own thread here in monthly ABs? So it's close by (like it's that far to go to another section :H).

Ideas - maybe say in advance what we'll be covering, like the day before, so we can all read it ahead of time (whether a page, a few pages, or a whole chapter)?

Do you remember the way I told they do it in one meeting here? Each person reads a paragraph or two, and then gives their take on it. It does keep you on your toes, since you have no idea what you'll get. Actually it's OK to share about someone else's paragraph, if yours doesn't really click. We did that from Daily Reflections or some small book one time when there were only 5 people at the women's 12 & 12 meeting, and we decided we didn't have to stick to it that night. Each person read one day, and then shared on it. That was a good one too.

There's one guy that has a BB meeting where we read one paragraph a week, and that's the topic. So we're on a chapter forever. But his meetings are always really good.

I went to the mixed meeting near my mom's house tonight. I had a long visit afterward with a woman who has 2 weeks. It was funny, because I was planning on running out the door to get home and watch something on TV, but it was a wonderful experience to listen to and share with a newer member. So I was there a half hour longer than I planned. There aren't that many women at this meeting either. I really see how the concept of helping another alcoholic helps us too. I felt really good when I left.

Hope everyone's week is going good!

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Cher: I can understand your not enjoying a function that largely involves drinking. Most of what we do as a couple really doesn't. We have a dinner club which meets once every 2 months at someone's home, but the focus is on food not drink (although that's a part of it).

Phil: Now that I've finally admitted that I'm an alcoholic, the idea of going back to a secret life of drinking is really abhorrent to me. However, if I did decide I wanted to try drinking (which I wouldn't), doing it openly isn't an option. My friends & family know me as a recovering alcoholic & non-drinker. The idea of saying: "I think I'll have a cocktail tonight" just seems preposterous. No, I'm an alcoholic, & I do not drink ever. I like it that way.

Last night, my daughter & I had a girls dinner w/some mutual friends. She had a beer & one of the other women had a wine. I along w/another woman had our ice water. It didn't feel strange, nor did I feel deprived. I saved the $6 or whatever wine costs in a nice restaurant & felt fine about it.

Let me know what's happening w/the BB study. I need all the good reading I can get.

Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hello all! Glad to hear that everyone is doing well. I really like the idea of reading the BB and discussing it with you guys. I love the ideas put forward so far. I like the idea of having the thread here in the Monthly Abs section so the AA threads would be together. I can't imagine anyone would mind that. I'm also thinking we can take a group conscience at any time and modify whatever format we start with once we see what works and what doesn't.

I like the idea of taking it in somewhat short pieces. I like really zeroing in on a small section and hearing what everyone has to say. Should we maybe take a page or two at a time? Maybe give that section a couple of days for people to check in and post before moving on? Anyone who cares too can just post away on whatever current pages we are on? I wish we were in a room together so we could read it outloud. I guess we'll each have to read aloud to ourselves at home. And then whoever else lives in the house can just realize we ARE nutty.

How does that sound?

Cher, I am so with you on not enjoying "drinking only" type events. Like Mary said, I'm fine now with others drinking (lightly) as long as the "main event" is not the drinking. And hey - if somebody thinks I'm no fun at a drunk fest, well, that's OK by me. Hopefully there are other types of occassions where it IS more fun to hang out with old friends. But if it stops being fun, please don't blame youself and start thinking YOU are no fun. I find that different stuff is fun now and what I used to think was fun is not fun any more. Lots' of changes and to me, they are all very positive. Just different.

Dance, that read a paragraph and comment on it sounds like a lot of fun! I wish there was a meeting like that around here. How would you visualize that working here in the forum? Would love to try it if there is a way. I bet that girl you stayed and talked to was very grateful you were there! What a good experience.

Yes Phil - the spiritual kicking was bad for me too.

Mary, I bet you are enjoying evenings out like that with Patty!

Well, Mr. D just got home so I think I'll start dinner.

DG

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

DG I like the idea of a couple of pages at the most.. I am not always as faithful about checking in every single day on the thread so maybe give 2-3 days for responses. I t may takes a awhile but It would be great to just start at the very beginning! anyway just a thought.

Went to a fantastic meeting today , the topic was sponsors and the frustrations with people who really aren't grasping the program, Not " getting " it. anyway , I haven't sponsored anyone yet but I sure felt a feeling of great caring and love from the ones who shared of their frustrations!!


Happy Veterans day to those who served and died. My hubby is a Vietnam vet and I will be honoring him tonight! ok.. get your minds out of the gutter!!!
oops maybe that was mine that was there. tee hee

[dextie]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hey I just found this aa thread, have been thinking about going to one ihave looked up the dates and times about ten times.
I had about 3weeks of drinking, day 1again.
Not sure what to expect from a meeting, shy unless drinking!

[Cherbear]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hey Dextie,

I was alittle nervous for my first meeting but everyone is so welcoming and its so comfortable.. you don't have to do anything but listen if you don't want to.
I tried quitting so many times I can't even count them and was so tired of the AL mind obsession that I decided I couldn't do it on my own.. duh obviously since I tried a million times!!! AA is an incredible program that I know now. after 4 months sober .. never had that long since I was pregnant 20 years ago.

As NIKE says... just do it!! go to a meeting. see what its all about. and keep coming to this thread too.

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Dextie: I was very nervous about going to AA, but I made myself do it, because I didn't want to live the way I was...drinking. The first few meetings were hard for me. I'm a naturally shy kind of person, but I persisted & now I have friends & love the meetings.

DG: If you could give us the pages from the on-line BB or direct us to the ones we should read, I'm sure we would have a very lively discussion here. Thanks for thinking of all this. Sometimes MWO is my only contact w/AA...not too often, but sometimes.

Mary

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Dextie: Additionally, no one makes you share. You can always pass on the sharing. You don't even have to identify yourself as an alcoholic. The only requirement for membership in AA is a desire to stop drinking. You found yourself to MWO, so you be affected by alcohol. Good luck. Mary

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hi dextie and welcome. I SWORE I would NEVER go to AA. Like the others said, I was scared to death going to my first meeting. That is normal and nearly everyone I've met in AA felt exactly that way when they went to their first meetings. So you are not alone in that feeling. I was made to feel very welcome and I never felt pushed to call myself and alcoholic or to say anything at all. In fact I remember one meeting where someone asked if I wanted to introduce myself, and I very simply replied "no." The meeting went on without a hitch and I was not made to feel uncomfortable. If you are curious whether AA might help you, there is only one way to find out. Strength and hope to you!!

I'm zoom zoomin - will be back later.

DG

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Nov. 8 - Nov. 14

Hi again. Touching on a couple of historical points in the Big Book thread got me thinking about one of the guys in my home group who was basically abandoned by his parents and left to the streets by the time he was about 10 years old. He is one of the ones who always says "To me, those character defects were survival skills." Anyway, he never attended much school and really couldn't read when he first came to AA. He learned how to read with the help of fellow AAers and has since become a student of AA history. I haven't seen him at a lot of meetings recently but him and his GF just had another baby so I'm sure that's keeping them busy. I hope he turns up so I can ask him questions that might come up in the Big Book thread - stuff that is always interesting.

Grateful to be here and sober for another day.

DG