Meeting Makers Make It?
April 24, 2006 by Mark
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
I’ve heard this one at meetings for a number of years now and I’m not a subscriber to it. How about you?
I’m not for two reasons. I once spoke at a beginners meeting in Patchogue, NY and during the feedback someone I knew angrily responded to something he had heard with a stinging question “Why do people who work the steps still go out and drink?” At that time I didn’t have the answer for him.
Shortly after, I came into possession of a tape on which a man described how he made possibly the best decision he could have made by talking to an oldtimer when he was in a mindset of quitting AA.
He said to the oldtimer that he’d been going to meetings for two and a half years, had been to over a 1000 and it just wasn’t working so he was ready to quit.
The oldtimer offered that man his opinion, based on experience, that there were two types of folks who came into recovery. The first was the one who just strolled in, got sober and did almost nothing to remain that way. Then he described the second, which he related to our friend was much like him, who, coming into AA had to work their a** off to get sober and stay sober.
He went on with an interesting story. He talked about taking a chair, putting it in a chicken coop for an hour a day for a thousand days. Then he asked if he thought you might change into a chicken had you done this. Of course the answer was no. To which he replied nothing changes if nothing changes. Recovery is about change. Change comes from “these are the steps we took.”
I have no doubt the principle can be applied to any addiction or disease.
A Sober, Clean Evening To All,
Mark
Someone told me not long ago that they were uncomfortable with the slogan “meeting makers make it.”
I am too, but only in-as-far-as it implies that meeting attendence is all I need to concern myself in order to stay sober. I love going to meetings today, whereas prior to recovering , I secretly watched the clock and eagerly anticipated the end of the meetings. I am at a point where I am no longer meeting dependent to stay sober, but God dependent instead.
I know that the groups are more than people gatherings. They are living, breathing spiritual entities where our message of hope can be announced to a sufferer of this disease My article in the September issue of Grapevine expounds more on this. If interested, feel free to read it in this groups FILES section found to the left on your screen.
I found it interesting that as life throws its curves and bumps in front of me, there is no longer the urge to “get to a meeting” to settle myself. I no longer get “squirrelly” if I miss a few days, or even a week of meetings. As far as I know, no one regularly characterizes me as a “serene” man. But certainly I do KNOW serenity, which is one of the hundreds of promises made to me by the authors or the Big Book provided I take other simple steps. (And in the case of “knowing serenity”, made my amends)
If to lack of a meeting began to once again affect my serenity, I’d have to take a real serious look at my spiritual condition. Being dependent upon meetings to keep my head on straight doesn’t sound like very much freedom to me.
Peace,
Danny S
http://www.dannyschwarzhoff.net
Hi Danny,
Well well – I see that you and I will agree on some things and, because I’ve visited your web site, disagree on others.
I must say tho’ that I certainly appreciate your stopping by my small part of the recovery world.
Mark
hello.
recovering? have you not worked the program of action that we are suppossed to “vigorously” take to recover from alcoholism, therefore being a recovered alcoholic? On p. 90, “when with your new man you identify yourself as someone who has RECOVERED.” i thinks its about time we quit the middle of the road meeting makers make it shit out the window, and go actually work the program. we have a book that is a textbook. it indicates that in the preface. thats what it is for. studying. we have precise instructions on howto go through the work.
MEETINGS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROGRAM OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS. THIS KIND OF SHIT KILLS THE REAL ALCHOLIC. i am unable, at certain times, to bring into consciousness with sufficient force, the suffering and humiliation of even a WEEK OR A MONTH ago. IM WITHOUT DEFENSE AGAINST THE FIRST DRINK. UNLESS I CAN HAVE A PSYCHIC CHANGE, AND HAVE A SPIRTUAL EXPERIENCE AS A RESULT OF TAKING THESE STEPS. THESE STEPS. NOT YOUR CRAP, YOUR OPINION, THESE STEPS.
please. read the book.
Mr. Smith?
Oh goody, another self-proclaimed, better than thou, separationist. Wadda miracle – not.
It was wrong of me to say those things. it was selfish, inconsiderate, and egotistical. let me know if there is anything i can do to make it up to you. or anyone else who is offended.
let it be said, once we work the steps as outlined in the book, we can be recovered, from that itching mental obession we are without defense against without a set of simple spiritual steps.
no excuses for my behavior.
ps.
mark,
i was referring to the comments, not the original message.
Your apology is certainly accepted and very much appreciated…
I’m a firm believer that these types of things happen for a positive reason (I’d imagine you believe the same way) so the fact is that the conversation has been continued and added to in a positive way so,
Thank you!
It’s good to see the program in action.
This phrase is thrown around where I attend AA. I think it gives a wrong impression. I know one thing that holds true for ” meeting makers “. They make a whole lot of AA meetings. After that, your guess is as good as mine.
I prefer all 3 areas Recovery (In the program of AA as expressed in first 164 pages of BigBook), Unity (in the fellowship of AA), and Service.
When in all 3 areas, I seem to be of better service to God and my fellow man.
Meeting makers make it only when combined with working the 12 steps, then the daily disciplines once having a Spiritual Awakening.
You can lose a Spiritual Awakening. Headed for trouble if rest on laurels.
For the newcomer, or the person that has had a Spiritual Awakening, if you JUST go to meetings, and don’t continue to grow… and you will grow in understanding and effectiveness if you are discplined… …. you can only coast DOWNHILL….
I coasted for many years, and got sicker and sicker and sicker…. only going to a “comfortable” discussion meeting that fit for ME… now a new Awakening…. and none of the middle-of-road water-downed bullshale that just kills the real alky.
i ramble…
I’m glad you ramble… thanks.
People like catchy phrases, it makes us sound clever. Try this:
It is the steps we take NOTthe meetings we make, which guarantee a spiritual experience sufficient to weather the storms which are certain to come!
I for one agree with nearly all that Mike had to say including his recognition that those ideas should have been transmittedin a more loving way. Anger is fear driven Mark, many of us who work with countless others spend inordinate amounts of time trying to help our dying brothers and sisters see that they have been misinformed in the rooms of alcoholics anonymous. Try to remember sir that patience does not mean passive. I must try to stop people from harming others, I must take action to intercede in the misinformation while I show compassion for both parties. Both of these people are God’s children and both must be shown compassion. The one doing the harm must be stopped in order that they do no more harm to themselves. A delicate balance which requires God’s vision.
AA still works Joe, it isn’t broken. Misinformation arises from the “profound” minds of some of our sicker members, imho, not from the founders and their descendents, and certainly not from AA itself.
Strangely (?), as in my case, God had to scream the truth so I would hear it and pay attention and take action. That too was compassion.
Each of us is both teacher and student. The written word is often confusing, thank you Mark for providing a forum for discourse.
Some make it after one meeting.