Ninety meetings in ninety days

[angussdundee]

That's what I was told to achieve when I first came to AA. However, I'm reluctant to suggest that to any raw newcomer simply because, if the new person does not achieve that almost impossible target then they may think they have failed to do what was suggested by a well intentioned member by way of a slogan as they hurry past the new man on their way out of the meeting hall (often forgetting to pass their number on for a fuller explanation) :(. Sound familiar?
If it were possible to get to ninety consecutive meetings then that would certainly create a sober habit and help to build up the momentum that is required for long term recovery. But most people just can't manage that many meetings because of family, work or health reasons or simply because they cannot handle that many meetings. For these people it may be that fewer meetings are in fact better and in no way does it indicate that they have failed just because they were unable to achieve that illusive ninety day target.
I personally believe what is important is not the number of meetings that count but the attitude of the new person at the meetings they do manage to attend, and also the attitude of the members who genuinely take the time to pass the message on to that newcomer. You can go to two, sometimes three meetings a day and still get drunk yet others can do one or two a week and manage to stay sober :-\
I say, get to as many meetings as you can on a regular basis. It's not a good idea to attend meetings only when you feel up to it, the times you don't feel like going are probably the times you need it the most.
So go on, post a message on AASL then get along to a meeting - you know it makes sense - :D

Anguss

[kremjk]

I attended a meeting everday for the first three months but not all of them were AA meetings. I was separated from my wife and an AA member told me about meetings once a week for dealing with that. I was overly focused on my wifes alcoholism and I was steered to Al-Anon once a week. I was in therapy so once or twice a week I attended that. And I was alone in life so AA was a wonderful place to be.
It was easy to do in my small town. The meetings were only minutes away, even on a bicycle (I had lost my license).
They gave me a key to the club after 30 days sobriety and I could help out by comming early and setting up for the meetings.
I had no where else to be. 90 meetings was a God send for me. I made many new friends that I began to visit in their homes and we would spend time together between work and meetings.

Thanks Angus. jim k

[samf]

I heard the ninety in ninety thing, after I got to AA. AA isn't how I got sober, the first time...had a one day drunk, got help, the next day...got twelve stepped into AA after a miserable period of time.

My point being I was a little clear headed and enough to be my stubborn self and go through thier Big Book to see if it was in there about ninety in ninety.

It wasn't. (I just hated people telling me what to do.) :D

But I sure didn't want to drink. And I sure felt nuts. And I lived where there were over a thousand meetings a week.

So at work I listened to speaker tapes unless I felt so nutty I just needed to sit in an AA meeting. And went to a meeting every day and sometimes two or three.

Where I live, now, there aren't that many meetings...just four a week, so the ninety and ninety thing might not work in my area, unless you drive another eighty miles round trip.

Had someone tell me, early on, this long thing I won't bore you with, about identifying yourself as a newcomer so we could be better acquainted. And how you do, (where I lived), and they just file out the dorr, after the meeting, and don't talk to you.

I remembered trying to hang by the door in hopes someone would speak to me. And how they didn't, for a long time.

If this guy hadn't talked to me about it, I might not have stayed....I don't know.

So now, I try to make sure I talk to new people, and I try to call newcomers. That thousand pound phone....

Sam

[theboxmaker]

I just went to a meeting everyday.........I DRANK EVERYDAY!? SOMETIMES THREE OR FOUR! but anyway, newcomers never leave a meeting without a set of tools, therefore if they WANT to stay sober MORE than they want to drink, they will!? Just share with them how you did it,? if they painstakingly want it they'll come get it!? ?There are plenty of slogans like that. Funny now cause i repeat them as well. If i start running the show, I would definitely fail. MY BEST THINKING ALMOST KILLED ME. My EXPERIENCE is this.>> When i was new i didn't go to 90 in 90, I was over a year sober before i did. Although i was "in" the program i didn't go to but maybe 2 or 3 meetings a week. After a year or so, I found myself with a lot of free time and went to well over 90 in 90. I think i went to about 120. But my life seriously needed that at that time. Life on life's terms? Who knows? But since then Ive maintained a 90 in 90 lifestyle. Meeting everyday for me> No questions about it. IF NO ONE TOLD YOU THEY LOVE YOU TODAY I DO!

[samf]

High fives and smiles...gosh, I love AA!!!