I’ve been in the Pittsburgh area groups for nearly 7 years now. Unfortunately, I recently lost an extended period of sobriety. In doing an examination of what happened leading up to this loss, I’ve realized that one unresolved issue for me is my unwillingness to admit to my innermost self that I am not like other “normal” people and never will be.
Last May 24 I celebrated my first year of sobriety in SA right here in the peaceful and beautiful hidden valley of my mountain home. In the morning I said a sincere prayer of thanksgiving to God for every day of progressive victory over lust in the year that has passed so swiftly and gently. Then, I thought of the kindness and love I received from SA through the year.
Life is so very full and it’s just a matter of showing up and being a part of and being of service. Lust is cunning, baffling and powerful and tricky, too, but if I just do as I think the Higher Power would have me do and thoroughly rely on him, everything turns out OK.
It is a deep sense of joy and gratitude that accompanies this letter. I have been part of the Regina SA group for over three years and my life has been so changed and enriched. I have my sobriety, I have found friends and I have a safe place to go when I am afraid. The group is doing quite well.
I mentioned in my letter two weeks ago that I would like to approach the Seattle Friday night SA fellowship about acting as a liaison between our group and Central Office. Well I submitted the idea to them at last night’s meeting and asked that they consider it for a week, discuss it at a brief business meeting and then decide the matter by group conscience.
In May, we cut the percentage of what we send to the Central Office in order to free up money for some outreach. Our projects, however, are already increasing our returns. The increase enclosed reflects the increase in attendance on the last week in June. This is because that meeting was the first of the “All Groups SA Unity Speakers Meetings” we’ve begun for the last Saturday of the month.
In the past, the Essay newsletter has been sent free of charge to anyone who requests it, and the Oversight Committee recommends that we continue that policy. However, the committee asks that each member who receives the Essay and who can afford to do so, make a voluntary donation of $10 per year to cover the increased costs of printing and mailing.
The Politically Correct Policeman (PCP), loosely defined, is a fellowship junky who considers it his job to flag anything in the literature or at meetings that might embarrass newcomers, minorities, or women. The idea is that no one gets offended. Currently I’m in my 10th year of recovery from Politically Correct Policeman-ship in 12-Step fellowships.
(The following is an extract from a talk given by Roy K. at the Socio-Psychosomatic Clinic in Bad Herrenalb, Germany, in November 1985. Roy’s audience consisted primarily of members of 12-Step Fellowships.)
It happened again. Those two simple words “I’m sorry” did their miracle. Two words so simple but so hard to say. An immediate change, from night to day, from misconnection to connection, from resentment to love, after just two simple words. It amazes me every time it works, as if it’s a totally new concept. Why shouldn’t it work? How can two such simple words do such a powerful healing?
