Welcome to MIP hatrabbit, ... ... ...

1st, congrats on 20 years ... ... ... and 2nd, if it were my birthday, I'd be very careful of any kind of bragging whether I felt I earned it or not ... ... ... You see?, ... every time I get the big head and make sure others know just how good I am or have been, then the 'sh.t' hits the fans ... ... ... SO, you may want to re-consider your reason for going to a meeting ... it would be better to go to a meeting for the purpose of sharing, without seeking any special recognition ... Most all of us are just glad we have 'today' sober ... and our success staying sober is not something we usually advertise ... In fact, recognition at a meeting is usually for the sole purpose of showing the younger members something to give them 'hope' ... That said, ...

Chips are used at most of the AA meetings I've ever been to ... But they vary in their method of recognition ... Most AA 'birthdays are celebrated with a bronze medallion where I come from ... each with a 'Roman Numeral' depicting the years sober ... and in my 'home group', ... and others in this area, we have a members list and the bronze chips are ordered a month ahead of time and given out at the end of the month where we celebrate all those with BD's during that month ... In another state I go to and go to meetings there, they have such a large group that they, in fact carry a stock of bronze chips and award them as the specific day comes around ... just as they would the 30 day, 60 day, 90 day, etc. ...

Hope that helps ...

God Bless,
Pappy

Thanks for the responses.  I haven't been to a meeting in a long while... and never since I moved to Southern CA.  I'll probably just find a convenient one to drop in.  

I was being sarcastic when I said I plan to do some bragging about this.  While I truly do feel humble about this whole subject, I must confess I would like to share this and feel peoples' responses.  Self serving, yes... but bragging was much too strong a word.

Some groups give chips and some don't. Some ask for anniversary's and others don't. Congratz!!

Congrats on your 20 years. I would say something like: 'Hi, my name is Danni and it's my first time at this meeting. Today's my anniversary too; it's been 20 years'. Then, you can share a little bit about yourself after they open it up to discussions. That's how most people do it in my area. Just my take though. Welcome to "MIP"...

Personally, as a new person, I marvel at people with 20 years. The ones who come in and say they stayed sober for a long time on their own - makes me wonder if I could do that too. It makes me wonder if I do in fact need AA in my life. My own father went from drinking very very alcoholic for 20 or more years, to having 3 or 4 about 10 yrs ago, to 2 MGD 64's a night for the last 5ish.

He couldn't stop drinking to save his marriage... when he was going to lose his kids. He couldn't stop drinking when he had cancer. Years ago, he used to let me get beer for him standing on a stool to reach the tapper on the kegerator in our basement. He used to let me make necklaces out of beer caps... after he had 12 that night, I had enough for a nice one. He would let me drink a sip or 3, out of each beer I brought him. People talk about starting drinking early in life... I WAS TWO! He never lost a job, and is actually monetarily very well to do. Still, he is a miserable, drinking, dry drunk... if you can imagine!

So he is the epitome of what is suppose to be nearly impossible according to the AAer's. I watch it every day of my life. I also have him telling me I'm not an alcoholic because (according to him) he's seen me have just a couple beers... but that is beside the point I'm trying to make.

The point is, my own father's example, could actually kill me. If he quit drinking on his own, he would try and say "see, you can do this too". He'll have a beer with lunch, in front of me, almost to say "here... this is how you do it".

If I believed I could do it alone, and started drinking again, I'd die.

Maybe I'm not suppose to say or think any of this. I don't know - I'm still new like I said. To worry about you, or my Dad, is probably not what I'm suppose to be doing today. I do know AA is working because I'm influential. You DO have an influence on me hatrabbit... think about your motives, and the good of everyone please.

Congratulations on 20 yrs alcohol free... I don't know your story - and I'm jumping to conclusions here, so please do share!!! I for one would love to hear how you did it!

Thanks for your post Tasha, ... ...

I have been thinking about hatrabbit for a while now ... r.e. the 20 years and few meetings ... I have a sponsee that came to me about 2 1/2 years ago, mentally and emotionally broken because he had 13 years sober and relapsed ... Over the 1st few months, we had long talks and he worked his way back through all the steps ... He is now very active in the program and sponsors others ... Point he made to me, long after coming back, is that he could sum his problem up in one sentence ... ... ... He said 'I simply let up on my spiritual principles' ... He said, Roger, I let up on my spiritual fitness, gained confidence in myself and stopped going to meetings and stopped calling my sponsor ... Then one day ... To take one drink seemed so perfectly harmless ... Recovering from a 'blackout', he knew what he had to do ... scared for his family, he came running back to the meetings, re=worked the steps and is doing great ...

For me, what hatrabbit has done, or accomplished, is rare indeed ... without meetings? ... Like Tasha, I'd rather not tempt fate ... (I love my meetings anyway ...)

God Bless,
Pappy