Dear Essay readers: This issue of Essay includes many stories on “Service Work As A Gift.” Our next issue in February will focus on “Sobriety and Relationships;” Please send in any stories or short articles on your experience with Relationships in sobriety. Future topics are listed on the previous page. Let us hear from you at essay@sa.org
A Polish SA meeting suggests that we might work Tradition 5 with a man-on-the-street approach. Słuźby is Polish for “service.”
Dave T. (the Stringman) recently visited Australia with the support of various International SA committees, for which the Australian SA fellowship is extremely grateful. Dave came to Australia because we want and need to hear from the sober old-timers while they still can make the trip to the other side of the world!
My sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who helped make the SIM event a reality this year. I want to especially thank all the committee members who were a joy to work with. To all the speakers that shared their ESH. To the MC fellows who kept a close eye on SIM for 24 hours especially Daniel, Tzvi, and Brendan. I hope you get a good night’s sleep!
There was an exceptional meeting tonight in Boston. I walked into the meeting with a lot of restlessness and discontent. We read the portion of Alcoholics Anonymous on fear. My Higher Power helped me realize during the shares that I am afraid because I am using this program like just another tool to run my life. I’m being self reliant.
Sometimes I look back and wonder why it took me so long to finally start living by the most basic and bedrock principles of the 12 Step program. No doubt I was still unwilling to really surrender, so I kept trying to solve my own problem with my own ideas and effort.
Many groups, religious and non-religious, have long experience practicing meditation. Here are some of the practices that they have found helpful.
I grew up as a kid in San Diego. My parents fought a lot. When I was seven years old my mother committed suicide. I became afraid, lonely and isolated. After my mother’s death I started going to religious services with my father. He became very involved with religion and I absorbed what I could. I felt so uncomfortable in my skin. I wanted badly to fit in.
I have been going through a rough patch in my recovery. For the last few weeks and months I have been coasting. Today is 501 days of sobriety. That is 1 year, 4 months and 2 weeks of sobriety. When I walked back into these rooms I was on fire. I had to stay sober. My life depended on it. As I gained sobriety life was getting better. My wife started to like me again.
1. Each morning I look at the sign over my bed that says “Good Morning. This is God. I will be handling all your problems today; I will not need your help. So, relax and enjoy the day.” It reminds me that I am his child whom he loves, regardless of what I have done or not done.
