We here have been doing a lot of talking about food, good healthy food, and thought a thread for recipes would be fun that we could all share. Pretty sure it would not make the grade of a sticky, but tell me, What are you thoughts........
I have been following a discussion about this very subject the last few days on another MIP forum (what are MIP forums for?) and John, who created them, said they were for AAers (each subset obviously, alanoners etc) to discuss whatever we wanted*, we could post recipes, ask how to remove viruses off computers*, Ask each other about car repairs*, etc, in short, this was a spot for AA'ers to talk about whatever we would like to talk about, including good books, even including non approved literature* if we found it helpful, I even attended the chat meeting held about this very subject this evening.
The MIP forums were likened to a coffee shop after the meeting where we were allowed to choose our own brand of coffee* and where a group of AAers go to hang out, so obviously we discuss sobriety, and reach out to newcomers first and foremost, but were allowed to have off-topic discussions as well.
I don't mean to step on Deans Toes, and by all means, what he says goes, it's just this is all stuff I witnessed first hand in the last few hours, was this very discussion about the MIP forums and I listened very carefully to what John said about what his expectations were regarding these forums, and didn't see anyone from this particular forum there so thought I'd pass that along.
*These were direct quotes
-- Edited by AGO on Monday 8th of March 2010 03:23:06 AM
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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Sure Toni, eating well is certainly a big part of recovery as we not only learn to take good care of ourselves but also improve our mental and physical health to experience feeling as good as we can.
Ago, John is the owner of MIP and hopefully he'll chime in here about your question. IMO, we need to be careful not to clog up this single board with trivia and risk sending mixed messages to our newcomers, who drop in here every day, and for every one that signs in we have a hundred visitors. It' not like your other board where you have a dozen different boards to fill up. We just have this one for AA. Hope this helps
If this is a group conscience on the matter, I'll add my voice too. Though this forum can be seen as not being strictly in the format of an AA meeting I do take the effort to watch for anything that may be away from how AA operates in regards to the traditions. I'm a novice when it comes to these principles but I'm going to the efforts to find out more & to help keep a respect for them here@MIP especially best by example but there have also been times I've acted in the protection of these principles & I've removed a thread which I've felt as not in line with them or are a blatant flouting. I take my responsibility for carrying the message of AA seriously in the best way I can which will improve as I grow.
Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered constitutes as an AA group & we're members if we say we are. I see Miracles in Progress in this light & even though this board has a an open & public nature it can also be a newcomer's first impression of Alcoholics Anonymous. I also appreciate that if we're going to be guided by the traditions then in the light of Tradition 5 "Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers." There's a lot of conversation between posts & also a lot of advice giving when imo we ought to help one another by sharing of our own experience, strength & hope without getting into what others should & shouldn't do.. My point is, I think we should keep it simple & try to keep our emphasis based from a program orientated point of view.
This is the message of AA. Anything else might helpful & all well & good but it may not what has been passed on from generation to generation by the Big Book & the fellowship who endeavor to live by it. Recipes & other tasty tidbits can be interesting & fun but they're not what got & help me stay sober. I understand 'man cannot live by bread alone' but I'd like to keep our board as pure & true to its purpose as possible. Obviously, I may be very wrong in my ideas of what that is but I thought I'd give some thoughts to the discussion here. Obviously my opinion is only towards the suggestion itself because Toni you know I think you're great & already give so much. Thanks for letting me put in my tuppence whatever it counts for, Danielle x
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
StPeteDean wrote:Ago, John is the owner of MIP and hopefully he'll chime in here about your question. IMO, we need to be careful not to clog up this single board with trivia and risk sending mixed messages to our newcomers, who drop in here every day, and for every one that signs in we have a hundred visitors. It' not like your other board where you have a dozen different boards to fill up. We just have this one for AA. Hope this helps
I was actually talking about MIP, not another board, The quotes with asterisks from my last post were things John said himself in a thread on MIP about what his intentions were on his twelve step message boards, I don't have a question, about what he would say because these were all things he just said, I was trying to answer one, unfortunately John took his post down so I can't link it
John is the one who said:
That outside literature is welcome here
That these forums are welcome to be used to ask about car problems
That these forums are a gathering place for alcoholics/alanonics etc to discuss outside issues as well as recovery
to ask how to remove a virus
That it is like a coffee shop where we are welcome to enjoy a variety of flavors, that the diversity is what makes MIP attractive and welcoming
He made the analogy that the MIP message boards were exactly like bulletin boards in a church outside the meeting room, where people ask for a babysitter, make announcements etc
To be perfectly clear, I was just conveying information and I have no opinion other then it is Dean's call
Hope this helps clarify what I said, sorry if I was unclear
-- Edited by AGO on Monday 8th of March 2010 03:17:53 PM
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Build a man a fire and he will be warm for a night, light a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life
Nothing like a good nights sleep to bring is some clarity to our thinking....and with that, I am simply changing or cancelling my request for a Recipe Post.
As my dear Daniella put it, so right on, we should strive to keep this Board for the new person, the one that has not even signed in, in many cases. and for those that have signed up and are still struggling.
No, MIP is not a meeting, but I have always viewed it as a Portal into to the Meetings.
I would very much like to pursue the Recipe idea, but we have a wonderful Private Messaging System. and through that messaging system, can offer up, when necessary our Private email addresses, I sure would do that with some wonderful recipes, for those that want them...
So thank you Dean, and AGO and Daniella for taking the time in offering all that you said.
Feeling that it was a mistake to ask for this Post, and I am allowed to make mistakes, if I learn from them.
Do not possess that elegance of how Daniella words things, but I do support her 100 percent in what she said today regarding her entire response, and especially for bringing in and honoring the 5th Tradition "Each group has but one primary purpose-to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers."
OK, not going to make this an endless response, but just try to visualize someone completely hung over, in desperate need of just a word of encouragement, having lost everything, not to a flood, not to a fire, but to the dreadful, cunning baffling and powerful disease of Alcoholism, and then just imagine how he or she might respond to reading a Post that eleborates a recipe for some gourmet Yorkshire Pudding.
Point made, say What ??????????
Hugs to all of you, and a happy Sober Monday to all. I apologize for not thinking this through, before posting to Dean....
Toni
-- Edited by Just Toni on Monday 8th of March 2010 03:46:47 PM
say What ??????????