Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

[ThreeDogNight]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Weird--had my reply done and it disappeared! Anyway, words of wisdom, as usual, Mary.
My meeting today was great--one of my favorite women got her five year medallion, and another, who has struggled, got her sixth month chip. So wonderful to see!
We talked about gratitude today, and my list was very long!
A guy I recognized as a student from the high school here where I taught in the nineties came in today--had not seen him there before. He did a double take when he saw me. I had not crossed the line back then, so he was probably wondering what had happened to me!
I hope everyone has a great sober weekend!

TDN

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Hi everyone! I have really enjoyed all the posts this week!

Special :yougo::yougo::yougo: for you Catch on TWO YEARS SOBER!!!! That is awesome. Sounds like you continue to grow and flourish in sobriety. EIGHT MILES?????? WOW!!!!! :yougo:

Mr. Doggy was in my office last night waiting for me to update a report for him. While I was working on the report he picked up my Daily Reflections book - I didn't even notice him reading it. He commented later "Wow - AA really is an amazing program." I am so grateful he supports my AA participation 100%. I'm also grateful for the wisdom of the program which tells me it's OK that he does NOT wish to participate. In the old days, I would have been trying to play God with that. Ugh. Drinking is definitnely not the only issue I have to work on LOL!

My current active sponsee is doing fabulous. She is basically completed with drug court - just waiting for the official graduation in February or March. Last week the judge told her she could move back home (with her husband and son) from the 3/4 house. Yesterday she moved her stuff. She continues to re-establish relationships with her family and especially her children. It is such a joy to watch someone blossom like that. We are working on her list of people she has harmed, and talking about willingness to make amends and what some of those amends might look like. I'm really grateful for the way my sponsor worked through it with me. It's a good system. There is so much good and useful stuff we can discover about ourselves and our relationships by putting honest effort into these steps.

I'm hoping to be up and at 'em for my 7AM meeting tomorrow. That is getting harder since I have been adjusting to my upcoming class schedule - NIGHTS. Starting next week.

Have a great weekend everyone! Thank you all for being here.

DG

[ThreeDogNight]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

DG--just want to thank you for the posts--all your posts, actually! It's great that you have a sponsee!! I still haven't found a sponsor here, but email a sober friend every day and we talk once a week, so keeping in touch with her almost feels like having a sponsor! She will have seven years next week!
Today I am going to call my temp sponsor from rehab. She's great!
Good luck with the classes next week. You are going to make one great counselor!!!


TDN

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

TDN: I'm a retired teacher (as you can probably guess from my screen name). I've, so far, met up w/at least 2 of my former students at meetings. One came up to me w/an incredulous look on her face & said: "Mrs. I! Is that you?!" I was into alcoholism while I was teaching but managed not to drink on the job. I was plenty hungover but hid it well. So, it came as a shock to see me at an AA meeting. I kind of dread seeing students & people from the "outside" world at meetings, as I don't give up my anonymity very readily. However, when I do see people/students, I'm ultimatelty grateful, as I need to have my image & pride busted now & then.

Last night's meeting was quite memorable to me. A member who had been sober in AA for at least 10 years went out & drank last year. He stayed out for a while. I've recently seen him at meetings, but last night he spoke out about his relapse for the first time. He said in the months prior to his "picking up," he strayed from meetings, calling people, & service work. His old resentments kicked up, & he let himself think he was "ok." He said it didn't take long for him to start drinking at all the old alcoholic levels. His phone didn't ring, & he fell back into a group of drinkers whose friendship is dependent upon what you are doing for them...i.e. supplying them w/booze. He said his main job now is to never forget that he is an alcoholic. He has to remind himself daily that he went through detox, 1/2way house, & 3/4way house. Normal people don't have to do that. When he got out of the 3/4way house, he had to learn basic of tasks...such as washing clothes. You could hear a pin drop in the room. He was someone w/a lot of sobriety whom I've seen speak at anniversary meetings, etc. What did I learn? Relapse can happen to anyone. When my "real life" tries to take over & convince me that I don't have the time or energy for meetings, I will try to remember what I learned from Shane last night.
-I'll never be safe. -
-I'll try never to take my sobriety for granted.
-I am, most definitely, an alcoholic.

Mary

[cpn1004]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Wow Mary, thanks for sharing that. With my travels I can go 5 days without a meeting. That is too long for me at this point in my sobriety. I can imagine if I just missed meetings for two weeks, it would not take much to bring up the idea of a dozen beers or so.
I'm grateful AA is almost everywhere.

[retteacher]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Phil: Losing touch w/the AA community seems to be the common thread to all the relapses I've heard about. I know for sure that the main thing that keeps me from picking up is that I'd have to confess to my group. I'm not sure I could face that. m

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Hi all! TDN, I'm so glad you are staying closely connected with your temp sponsor and another AA friend. These are life lines. I really resisted sponsorship at first because I didn't like the idea of anyone telling me what to do. I'm glad I worked my way past that (with some pain in the process of course!) and ended up with a really good sponsor to teach me the steps. The steps are a gift in my life that keeps on giving every day. Just yesterday my husband got EXTREMELY upset and frustrated by something that had absolutely nothing to do with me. He was ranting and raving in a way that deeply upsets and unsettles me. I was actually shocked when I was just able to stay out of it physically, emotionally and spiritually. LOL - he was shocked too! As he was calming down I just brought him a glass of water and asked if there was anything I could do to help. He said "wow - you're not taking a ride on this train, are you?" Nope! That is the steps and the program of AA at work in my life. I didn't do or say anything I would have to amend later! THAT is a MIRACLE!! You can have that miracle too!

Mary, I hear the same exact things about relapse. I too am addicted to alcohol and need not forget that.

Phil - you are such a shining example that recovery CAN happen - even on the road. Do you still try to get to meetings when you are out of town?

I went to the Sunday morning meeting yesterday - haven't been to that one in a while as I was going to Weight Watchers in that time slot. But a woman from Alanon who faithfully attended any open AA meeting she could (including that one) was killed on Thursday in a car crash. It was our first significant snow storm of the year. She was driving her van and slid into on-coming traffic and was broad sided by a semi. It is so shocking to lose something this way. It was comforting to be at the meeting with others who are experiencing the same shock and grief. What a reminder to appreciate and "stay in" today. The meeting itself felt healing too. Life and recovery keep moving on. There were recent newcomers expressing joy at finding hope. A life lost, and other lives found. The ebb and flow of life I guess.

School starts tomorrow! I'm really excited to see friends from last semester in classes, and to get on with learning.

DG

[ThreeDogNight]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

Hi, DG.

Great post--thanks! I am looking for a sponsor, not trying to avoid it at all. I did ask somebody I think has a good program to sponsor me as soon as I got back from rehab, but she also does NA and can't possibly take on anybody else. And she is now spending quite a bit of time visitng one of our members who had a terrible accident on New Year's Eve morning. Anyway, I have a few prospects in mind, but do want to get the right person.
Story about hubby rings a bell. My husband is so OCD it is almost unreal!! I used to play right into it, but I have learned patience and tolerance, and can now just take a deep breath and let him talk, rant, whatever. He is retired, and doesn't do much in the winter, and with me being unable to drive--well, I am with him at least 18 hours a day! But I am where God wants me to be, and hubby drives me to AA meetings and has stuck by me for a reason only God knows, so I have to understand. And he is so much better when I don't react or make a joke out of it.
Good luck with your classes! I am going to look into on line courses soon.

TDN

[Doggygirl]

Weekly AA Thread - Jan. 9 - Jan. 15

TDN, you have such a wonderful attitude and are really embracing and benefiting by all that AA has to offer. I am so happy for you! Sometimes it is hard for me to view my husband the way you are - looking at the very wonderful things - not just the things I DON'T like. What a great reminder for me!

Happy for you to hear you have some prospect sponsors and are carefully considering the decision.

DG