Do We Make Ourselves Clear?

[admin]

Do We Make Ourselves Clear?
"In my desperation to carry the message, I sometimes forget to share with
the newcomer many of the little but important things that helped me to be
sober. If we who have been around A.A. awhile don't do it, who will?
Speaking at the Northeast Regional Forum in Portland, Maine last June, Leo
G., the delegate (Panel 38) from Western New York, mentioned some of the
"little things" -the simple but essential safety pins of sobriety. "At
meetings," he asked, "do we orient the new person on kitchen duty, show
where the utensils are kept, how to make the coffee and, these days, the
decaf?"
When AA-oriented people come out of a prison or treatment center, Leo
pointed out, their status as alcoholics there is no secret, something they
may think is par for the course. "Do we explain our Anonymity Tradition to
them clearly?" he questioned. And do we take the time to detail exactly
what we did to stay dry those first tough days?
"I, for one, have found myself so wrapped up in sharing my
drunkalogue--talking about how I used to take the morning drink-that I forget
to share just how I've stayed away from that drink by using every tool
available, from meetings to milkshakes to sponsorship and the Serenity
Prayer"
With newcomers, Leo reminded his fellow attendees "establishing
identification in terms of our drinking histories is important -- but so is
taking them by the hand and, step by step, showing them the way to a
sobriety that encompasses the body, mind and spirit.
Box 4-5-9, Nov 1989
Received in email

[MajestyJo]

Reminds me of how, in early recovery, that I was so busy wondering what I should say and trying to put my own thought in order, that I missed the sharing of others. Often I wanted to go first, and then I found, after listening to others, they triggered a whole lot of thoughts within me, and I wanted to share more. I had to learn it isn't all about me, and what comes out comes out and I don't run the show.

A good example was having to share at the Recovery House that I went through. I was on an eight week roster than went in to share with 7 others to share with the girls in house. I had about 3 years sober and it was a great honor for me.

The first night I went, they said after the opening Serenity Prayer, "Because we are from different fellowships, we have no format here. This meeting lasts an hour and our speaker tonight is JoAnne." I thought, I have to talk a whole hour? I share my esh for almost the whole 60 minutes, had a quesiton and answer period for about 20 minutes and on the way home, I thought, "Gee I forgot to say this, I should have said that." As my sponsor said, "What comes out is what is meant to come out." You can't live 50 years and expect to tell everything all at once. When you turn your talk over to your Higher Power, it is not up to you what you put in and what you leave in. A long-timer said, "If you ever find yourself humming and hawing and have hit a wall and don't know what to say next, shut up and sit down. You have nothing more to say. If you continue to open your mouth, it is you talking not your Higher Power."