OK, this is just me, but I generally avoid Open Discussion meetings because they tend to be all over the map. It's just my personality, but I prefer Big Book and Step meetings because I feel like I get more program out of them: we read the texts and the comments tend to stay on topic. I like the classroom feel of those meetings.
Last night we had an open meeting in town, and the speaker chose "gratitude" as a topic --- for the thousandth time. He had a copy of "As Bill Sees It" sitting right in front of him. Why not pick a page from that and use it to launch conversation?
We had four incorrigible ramblers take over the meeting, God bless their hearts, lol. I can't even begin to remember anything they said but they took forever to say it. My wife came along and afterward she said, "Really, John, I don't know what you get out of meetings sometimes." And I said, "Yeah, I don't either."
lol
I guess the best I can say is that I went to an AA meeting instead of a bar, which definitely does count for something!
-- Edited by Q on Tuesday 2nd of July 2013 06:47:04 AM
-- Edited by Q on Tuesday 2nd of July 2013 06:50:30 AM
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
some meetings go like that..... not sure what the secretary thought, but some meetings have a timer to remind folks to keep it short. maybe a suggestion is in order... what do you think?
Well, I'm not going to suggest a stopwatch. The ramblers are all old-timers: three of them suffer from some senility, which they admit themselves, and fourth has an accent so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is what it is, an exercise in patience. I'm not really complaining, just rambling myself I guess.
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
When I was chairing a meeting in the past, I would stare at the 'rambler' real hard after three minutes and then hold up my wrist and point at my watch after five minutes ... OR ... after that person had finished sharing, I'd announce "Again I want to remind EVERYBODY to keep their sharing to 3 minutes to allow time for others to share" ... ... ...
That went over like a lead balloon ... ... ... as above, they were mostly old-timers and this 'new kid on the block', me, was making waves ... one of them said once for me to cool-it when it came to timing out the sharer ... I said 'hell', it's your rules, not mine ...
I still 'chair' if I'm in town for a while, ... but needless to say, I don't bother the rambler too often anymore ... now I just close my eyes and make 'snoring sounds' ... ... ... (just kidding!!!)
I need to get me one those 'air horns' somebody mentioned a while back ... LOL
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Excellent Pappy! Thank you. Let me write this down...close eyes, snore, air horn....
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
Uh - Oh, ... now look what I've started ... ... ...
HEY, I insist on enjoying myself at the meetings ... I love hearing the laughter ... if they weren't fun to go to, I think I'd have dropped out some time ago ... I simply enjoy the heck out of being sober ...
Last week I had a 1st ... ... ... 1st time I was ever approached by a newbie and told, "I come to these meetings here, just to hear you laugh, your laugh is contagious and I simply love it ..." ... ... ... Oh Lord, help me, ... she was attractive too ... and I just can't 'go there' ... if you know what I mean ... (seen too many others screw themselves up making something out situations better left alone ... I just stick to the program and the TWELVE steps) ... but it did make me feel good ...
Come on, let's go to a meeting and enjoy ourselves for a while ... life's too short not to ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I know the feeling - we occasionally get some very pretty women in the rooms. I've never felt tempted myself - I'm madly in love with my wife. But I've seen some 13th-stepping go seriously awry, to the point where people go back out again and die.
Meetings can be a lot of fun, but sobriety is an incredibly serious business.
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The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
I know the feeling - we occasionally get some very pretty women in the rooms. I've never felt tempted myself - I'm madly in love with my wife. But I've seen some 13th-stepping go seriously awry, to the point where people go back out again and die.
Meetings can be a lot of fun, but sobriety is an incredibly serious business.
Yep Q, ...
We must be a lot alike, I love my wife dearly too(40th anniversary coming up in 2 1/2 weeks) ... won't say I haven't been tempted, but I value my sobriety and marriage too much to even consider 13th stepping ... and there's the bit about honoring God too ... and like you, I've witnessed 13th stepping go seriously awry ...
I agree, sobriety IS serious business ... but I insist on having fun with it and enjoying it ... I've seen too many people turn into 'Zombie AA'rs' ... they come cause they feel they have to ... they stop drinking, but fail to progress spiritually ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Well, I'm not going to suggest a stopwatch. The ramblers are all old-timers: three of them suffer from some senility, which they admit themselves, and fourth has an accent so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is what it is, an exercise in patience . . .
Reminds me of a story, funny on different levels, my relative newcomer buddy Scott told me. He went to Los Angeles on business, tracked down a meeting (kind of large), got himself there, felt good about about his diligence and settled down to have a nice meeting in a new place far from home group meeting.
The meeting was a little different in the beginning but when the sharing started, he knew he was where he should be, hearing AAer stories. He listened intently but the meeting was interrupted by the sound of a beep-beep-beep on the I-phone of the guy sitting near him. The I-phone guy turned off the alarm. My buddy kind of looked over at him, but, hey, nothing to say, really.
Some other guy was sharing and the I-phone beep-beep-beeps again. The I-phone guy turns it off again, apparently without any concern for the disruption. My buddy thinks fondly of our home group rule about turning off phones while he gives the interruptor the ole arched eyebrow treatment.
The sharing continues and DAMNED IF THE PHONE DOESN'T GO OFF AGAIN! My buddy's HR starts to elevate. WTH! The I-phone guy is utterly nonchalant about turning off the friggin' beep-beep-beep. At this point Scott, not a shy guy, WANTS to tell Mr. I-phone to turn off his damn phone.
But he doesn't. Not at home . . . doesn't know anybody . . . this too shall pass, etc.
Another guy sharing, good stuff. Everything is fine.
Beep-beep-beep-beep ....
AGAIN!
Scott now wants to throw the I-phone (and Mr. I-phone) out the window. But he simply cannot muster the energy to do this. Mr. I-phone turns off the alarm. Scott is wondering what to do and the only thing he can think of is to walk out. Who needs this shizz??
But he stays. The meeting is ruined for him however since, unbelievably, the I-phone went off two more times.
At the end of the meeting, the chair thanks folks for their service (coffee, cleanup). Also says, "And thanks to Phil for being our timer today, next week Sam will do it."
The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature, usually crushed to earth by the cold facts and dry criticisms of the sober hour. ---William James
I never know to whom, or from whom, God chooses to speak to. Whenever I'm at a gratitude meeting and listing to someone's spiel for the 100 time, I try to remember that some newcomer may need to hear that particular message at that particular time.
It's like I always discover something new in The Big Book each time I read it, even though I may of read something may times before.
