I am traveling over the long weekend with my partner. He is in a convention while I have lots of free time here in Salt Lake City. As my sponsor suggested, and as I learned to do whenever going away, I checked for meetings here upon getting situated. I was like "there probably wont be any meetings here cuz everyone is Morman and all religious and what not." Well, AA totally rocks of course and I found tons of meetings here. Not everyone is morman and who cares if they were right? Not only did I find an awesome meeting, but I found a gay men's AA meeting and made a bunch of new friends and got to talk to and help a newcomer with 90 days sober. He talked for like 15 minutes when he got his chip and a bunch of people at the meeting were kinda like..."really?" But then I think most of us looked back and remembered what a momentous achievement 90 days was for all of us and how it felt. Heck, look at my screen name here....Pinkchip was for just 60 days when I joined this site and I thought that was the bomb. Another person shared how anyone under 3 years sobriety is "dangerous to be around." I later informed him that I had 2 years, 11 months, and a few days sober so I better get around to doing some dangerous stuff in the next 27 days lol. Also, one speaker talked about the long weekend and how it was anxiety provoking to have lots of free, nonstructured time on their hands. This took me back to early on in sobriety when I was terrified of the weekend and all I could do was go to like 2 or 3 meetings a day and hang out with people from the fellowship to feel safe and not drink. But more than that, it reminded me of all those many many weekends before getting sober where I had no choice in what I did. What I did was already written in stone. I drank. When I had free time, I drank. When I didn't have free time, I drank. I just drank. Yesterday I had a whole day to myself to explore a city I haven't been in. I got to walk around and decide what to do, see things I liked, eat by myself, go wherever I felt... I NEVER had these choices before. I never ventured away from my living room and my bottle for like a decade. All I did was work and drink... So...today I am seriously feeling the happy, joyous, and free vibe. Not all days are this good and sometimes I struggle but that is life.
Anyhow, greetings from Salt Lake City, Utah. It is amazing to see AA thriving here. Anywhere I go there is a meeting there waiting for me. It makes me want to travel to more places not even just to see new things but to go to new meetings there and meet more sober alcoholics from around the world. Hoping everyone has a great holiday weekend!
Mark
P.S. - Mike F. - Not sure if you are still in Florida but if you are, I'm going back on Sunday night and can meet up for a meeting on Monday or Tues.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Hey Mark yes we are going to a hotel on tuesday and will be here until the 8th (thursday) but lets try monday somewhere okay.i may check out one here tonight at south east 9th street in deerfield about 6 minutes from me..I'lll drop you line monday,i dont know my way around too cool so we'll see if we can hook up..have fun hope to see ya!
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
I'll be there in first week of December for a ski trip. It's a strange town with the industrial and residential packed so closely together. We stay about a mile west of Park City. If you get a chance drive out to the Stawberry river park whatever it's called. On rt. SE of Heber city, on the other side of Park City.
I am so happy that you enjoyed SLC! I live in Houston now but grew up in Northern Utah. It's a beautiful place!
As for mormons, we truly are no different than any of the christian community. Our beliefs are exactly the same as all the rest of the christian community out there-Jesus is our savoir too. We do have a bit more (not less) written doctrine and in it we note "do not drink" and "do not smoke" in our Doctrine and Covenants called "the Word of Wisdom". Although it is written in our teachings, it doesn't mean that we don't do it... I'm living proof, "that we ain't perfect!" Mormons can be Alcoholics as too!
Hopefully you met a few of us mormons in your AA meetings in Salt Lake and found out that we aren't any more different than anyone else... It's important for the masses to know, we mormons too are imperfect and honestly very much the same as any other christian... Just ask us!
Quite honestly, in my opinion, I think because of my mormonism that I have grasped the AA higher power concept faster than many with no faith background and in many ways those who have some or even extensive christian upbringing. This is surrounded in what mormons call "the plan of salvation." If you want to know more, please ask me anything you'd like! I love my religion and am very proud to be in AA Fellowship with you all! We are all truly brothers and sisters!
