I just want to thank the fellowship of SA for a recent birthday. No, it was not another year of sexual sobriety (though I’m grateful for the five years that I have), but an ordinary “navel” birthday whereby I turned 30 years old. And why am I grateful to the fellowship of SA for this particular birthday? Because I honestly don’t believe I would be alive had I not found these marvelous programs.
…I went into treatment for alcoholism, but soon found out I also had a sexual addiction. What a relief to find out I was a sexaholic, that I was not crazy, that I was not a pervert, gay, morally corrupt, bisexual or any of the other names that I called myself.
During the past 2 years I’ve been an active member of SA and able to maintain my sobriety one day at a time. All credit goes to my Higher Power and the principles and fellowship of SA.
Now that you have gladly welcomed me into the fellowship of SA, I feel very happy to walk with you in the Happy Destiny of sexual sobriety. Of course I have my own story to tell, a story of progressive defeat by lust since the early years of my childhood until that bright day when I admitted my powerlessness and turned my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand Him.
…We are growing slowly, we gain and lose members regularly, but we are still here after five years. Thank you for your support.
Our group started out with just three people two years ago and we are now a regular 8-10 members with 2 meetings a week. We have one, two and three years’ sobriety with many members struggling but who keep coming back. God knows how we all need each other and we strongly adhere to the SA definition of sobriety and the traditional meaning of marriage.
…Please find enclosed a contribution from the Saturday SA group in Portland. This is the proceeds from our second collection that is taken at every meeting. I hope everything is going well at the Central Office. We are grateful for the caring service you give to the Fellowship.
We total 7 people in our group, with an average attendance of 4, and we adhere strongly to the definition of sexual sobriety as: no sex with oneself or others outside of marriage in the traditional sense. We are struggling, but feel that it’s worth it.
Very seldom in Essay have I seen contributions from any of the original groups in the Los Angeles area. The Long Beach meeting was one of the original three meetings in the Los Angeles area — along with the West Los Angeles and Alhambra — and has been through many changes in the past 7 or 8 years.
At the Chicago Conference, Roy K. announced that he was severing his administrative connection with the SA Central Office. His reasons for doing so are listed in “Roy Steps Away From the Central Office,” one of three papers he submitted to the Fellowship at the Conference, copies of which appear in Box 300 with this issue of Essay.
