DEC 26, 21 .. SOBER HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO ONE AND ALL

Our 'virtual' holiday decorations in a shopping mall.

HAPPY,

JOYOUS, 

AND SOBER 

HOLIDAY GREETINGS

It seems like, no matter where you are in the world, no matter what your personal beliefs are, for most of us, this is a Holiday Season. 

And?

It seems like, no matter where you are in the world, no matter what your personal beliefs are, there is a lot of drinking around you and in your community at large.

And?

For some of us, especially in the business world, we are expected, and actually under some pressure, to attend gatherings where there is a lot of drinking.

What to do?

First, each of us must want sobriety no matter our surrounding.

Second, we need to 'go to any length' to remain sober.

But how?

Have a plan!

Make up your mind that, at some point, you will depart the event. Depending upon the attendees and the event, it could be relatively early, and it could be later, a point will come when you will see that others are getting drunk! 

This is the point to excuse yourself and leave. To leave, you must have a plan that includes transportation away from the event. Yes this could be a challenge especially if the event is away from the center of your city and personal transportation is necessary to reach the event. You need to have your own vehicle, or, attend the event with someone else who wishes to depart the event early. 

But again, and this is foremost, you must want sobriety at any cost.

For some of us this may mean a job change. For others, we must endure some friction with fellow family members who are intent on serious holiday drinking and want you to remain present.

But, when the (call it) critical point arrives, when others are getting drunk and unruly and noisy, the chances are good no one is going to miss you!

Trust me and many other members, it is possible to remain sober 'come what may' during the holidays.

GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL AND SAFE AND SOBER HOLIDAY SEASON. 

JUL 30, 21 .. HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING DURING THE COVID-19 LOCKDOWN

 I saw the below questionnaire and got a chuckle out of it.

Judging from the location of the X in the above response, it looks like the respondent has indeed been drinking.

It is O.K. to get a little chuckle out of the above questionnaire but make no mistake, the Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected not only alcoholics, but the entire population of the world.

July is the seventh month and I would be remiss not to mention Step 7 and our humbly asking our Higher Power to assist us.

JUN 28, 21 .. ZOOM MEETINGS AND LIVE, IN-PERSON HYBRID MEETINGS

Zoom A.A. meetings here in the United States were an entirely new concept to me commencing in March of 2020 when the Covid-19 virus caused many meetings to be shut down and the doors closed.

I have since learned that, in the business world, zoom meetings have been ongoing since Zoom Video Communications was founded by Eric Yuan on April 21, 2011, in San Jose, California, in the United States.

HYBRID MEETINGS

Let's begin with this statement from Wikipedia : A hybrid event is a tradeshow, conference, seminar, workshop or other meeting that combines a 'live' in-person event with a 'virtual' online component.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_event

Now that we are seeing a vigorous return to 'live' in-person meetings here in the United States, many members who live in remote areas with few (if any) 'live' in-person A.A. meetings, have been supported in their quest for sobriety through zoom online meetings. These members are fearing their zoom meetings are going to disappear and are very concerned.

A.A. Tradition 5 states : Each group has but one primary purpose -- to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

To this end, to continue to try to support the zoom meeting population, quite a few 'live' in-person meetings here in the United States are striving to continue both their zoom online meetings and coupling them with the members sitting in the 'live' in-person meetings. 

Thus the term HYBRID MEETINGS has come to be a reality here in A.A.

Change can be difficult for all of us. 

Recently some members here in the United States have stated that Hybrid Meetings are in violation of both Tradition 11 : Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films, and Tradition 12 - Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

The other side to this opinion is the belief that Zoom meetings are NOT open to the public so Tradition 11 does not apply. To find and to enter a zoom meeting, you must first have a zoom meeting identification number and, in some cases, a password and then you must wait in a waiting room until the zoom meeting host allows you to enter the meeting.

Finally we come to Tradition 4 : Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole. The A.A. conference approved book, The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, states on page 146, that every A.A. group can manage its affairs exactly as it pleases, except when A.A. as a whole is threatened and further that every group has the right to be wrong.

I think the Hybrid Meetings are a great solution to helping those in small and remote communities maintain their sobriety.

JAN 23, 21 .. THE FIRST MONTH .. STEP ONE ..

 Step One .. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become unmanageable.

I am not now, nor have I ever been powerless over alcohol, until I took the first drink and introduced alcohol into my body. 

Let's keep-it-simple. 

Step One is the admission that we have a problem with alcohol. Pure and simple.

IF a person does not know they have a problem (and this applies to anything) then how can they ever overcome the problem?

Having admitted we have a problem, we then move forward to Step 2.