The Importance of Meetings

[jgrabo]

Hi All!
Ok this topic has been on my mind since an earlier post this month replying to someone else, and as it happens it was the subject at the discussion meeting that I went to on Wednesday night. The Chairman for the night was a fellow who has about 20 yrs in the fellowship and it was his topic, he stated that he had been feeling a little off center lately and wondered if it was due to a reduced number of meetings he has been to recently. I believe he already knew the answer to his own question but felt the topic needed to be discussed.For my own part on this topic I make no bones about how important it is to me, we have all had days where we are out of sorts and just try to keep it in even when we call and talk to our sponsors. Old habits sometimes hard to break! Then you go to a meeting on one of those days and there is always someone there who knows that there is something going on inside your head. Amazes me how that happens but it does, thats one of the unsung benefits of showing up. Had that happen that night with a friend who has about 34 yrs now and sponsors countless people and I could see he was off a little, great part of showing up early and staying after is the additional time to spend in discussion about things. He told me he was down also on meetings which I already knew but that he was having touble with some of his sponcees not doing what he was suggesting! We talked a little about the old leading a horse to water and I asked him if maybe he wasn't suffering a little from the poor me's - won't type his response but it did make him look a little deeper into the real cause of where he was at this time. Anyway he called yesterday and thanked me for my help and he felt better and he was suffering a littl efrom the poor me's. My point to all of this is how important the personal contact with others that are like us is. I am not forced to go to meetings and have never been court ordered to do so, I have been granted the opportunity by the grace of God to attend these meetings and while I still have a long way to go I know every day my life impoves a little and I get a little better thanks to the people I choose to call an extension of my family who help me with there insight and experiences. I aslo thank Dallas for such a great site to share our thoughts on. In closing the contact that I get I cannot get on the phone or on a web site, I'm an alcoholic and I need to be around others like me- 1 day sober or 50 yrs. May you all have a great day and may God bless you all.


John

[Dallas]

In closing the contact that I get I cannot get on the phone or on a web site, I'm an alcoholic and I need to be around others like me- 1 day sober or 50 yrs.

Thanks for sharing John! You're right on. While the Internet, or other activities are great -- they should NEVER substitute the experience of face-to-face meetings with other alcoholics. Some, will argue that it's the same thing. I won't argue. But I will say that our history has taught us the importance of face to face meetings with each other. It has worked for over 75 years.... and the Internet is not that old to compare it.

While we can do much on the Internet, or by telephone, or mail (and all of this is good and it helps)-- we still need the eye-to-eye contact of personal contact with each other.

While the meetings do not keep us sober -- they are still vital to our sobriety. If we don't have the opportunity for regular meetings, we can spend our time looking for another alcoholic to share with -- in person.

My sobriety is the most valuable and important thing that I have. Without it -- there is nothing. And, I know what having nothing is. I don't want to risk losing what I've got.

Dallas