This forum is preferable to In Real Life meetings because... 10) The coffee is exactly the way I like it 9) The seating is more comfortable 8) No shirt, no shoes? No problem 7) I can go to the bathroom halfway through my share 6) If I don't like what you're saying...I don't have to listen 5) "How It Works" = click, click, read, repeat. 4) Nobody will notice if I fall asleep 3) I'm only gonna wash ONE coffee cup 2) You all smell GREAT!
and the Number One reason MIP is better than a Real World AA meeting...
1) (((((hugs))))) are much more sanitary than handshakes.
11) I can roll my eyes or yell "Oh My GAWWD!" anytime I want 12) I can pick my nose if I have to 13) If I have PMS, I can keep editing out snappy remarks 14) I can smoke indoors, right here at the "meeting" 15) no one is going to ask me to Lead/Speak 16) I don't have to put gas in my car to come here... $$$$ 17) I can play really loud heavy metal while "hearing" all your shares 18) I don't have to wash the acrylic paint off my face or hands 19) I can come here in the wee hours of the night if I am up, and don't have to venture out alone into the night 20) Like Rob said, I can give ((((hugs)))) sans Purell, and not have to worry about catching your cold.
Things that AREN'T so great about MIP??? (And reasons to go to Face 2 Face meetings...) 1) isolation is not good 2) we can't go out for coffee or dinner afterward :o( 3) F2F is where the REAL RECOVERY takes place.... this just being a nice supplement.
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~Your Higher Power has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.
Thanks for the miles of smiles here in this room. When I am not up to going to a meeting I know I can drop into MIP and catch a couple of topics and look up old comments I have made and see if anyone responded or added to it. I was so glad I stumbled into this room, to meet people I never would have at my local meetings. hugs to you all jj ;)
OK...not looking to stir the pot here, but gotta comment Joni my dearest...
You note that
"Things that AREN'T so great about MIP??? (And reasons to go to Face 2 Face meetings...) 1) isolation is not good 2) we can't go out for coffee or dinner afterward :o( 3) F2F is where the REAL RECOVERY takes place.... this just being a nice supplement."
1-Online connections may be the only safeguard against isolation that some people have--for many reasons. In those situations, isolation is not having even this. 2-OK, give ya that one LOL 3-REAL RECOVERY takes place in us; we keep what we have by giving it away--and here on MIP is every bit as valid as F2F. AA Loners (now AA Loners International) has helped many of us stay sober and not isolated, by the US mail, telephone, ham radio, and now the Internet. And believe me, what we have is as real as it gets.
I don't usually do warm & fuzzy, but just for you, {{{{hugzzz}}} :)
good points Lee. I have daily contact of the AA kind with many on this site, and have had for a few years now. My anniversary just passed and for the first time (in a couple decades) I haven't been to a meetings (last month) or announced that my anniversary was this month. It didn't occur to me till August 1st, when I no longer could. At first I felt I had cheated myself, then I remembered the many and great anni wishes that I received here and compared that with the usually experience (when announcing at a meeting full of mostly strangers) and I wouldn't trade. I did have dinner with my sponsor friday night, his anniversary is also in July and we traded coins and hugs. It's a tradition that he, I, and our wives have be doing for 8 years now. Pretty cool.
31) I just farted REALLY loud and none of you looked at me! 32) a couple of you folks just started cross-talking in the middle of my share and I DON'T CARE!!!