Welcome to the Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium where twelve of us write on the same topic. Today’s topic has been chosen by Paul. The eleven other bloggers who write regularly are, in alphabetical order, Conrad, Delirious, gaelikaa, Grannymar, Magpie, Maria SF, ocdwriter, Padmum, Paul, Rohit and Will. Do drop in on their blogs and see what their take is on this week’s topic. Since some of them may post late, do give some allowance for that too!
Discovery is the act of removing the cover from something hidden from view. Rediscovery would then mean to enact the process all over again. We however tend to think of discovery as the process of finding something that did not exist. That is simply not possible logically.
I discovered Alcoholic Anonymous in 1998. Before that, I had heard of it from various sources with references to some worthy individuals doing a great job of saving alcoholics. In 1998 alcoholism invaded my space in a big way and after futile attempts at handling it on my own, I sought the help of AA and as I write this, I have not had a drink for the last 12 years and 7 months. My son who is also in the movement, for the past 11 years. He had his Thanks Giving meeting just last week.
Before I went to a meeting for the first time, I read all about alcoholism and the AA movement from the various publications that are readily available, so it was not a difficult meeting for me. I immediately saw that the meeting and the movement could be very effective in solving my problems and to make it possible, I left my career in the South of India and moved back to Pune where regular meetings were taking place and people that I could identify with were in the movement.
Since my late wife was also an affected person, she would accompany Ranjan and me to the meetings. We regularly attended our home group’s meetings and many others in the initial days where, it is suggested that a recovering alcoholic makes ninety meetings in ninety days. We continued to go to meetings till my wife’s health made it impossible for her to attend and I had to be with her at home. Our son however has been very regular and is also very active in taking the message to suffering alcoholics and helping them recover. He recently organised a weekly meeting for a new group to cater to alcoholics close to our home who find it difficult to attend meetings in the city. That group has taken off and it is a very satisfying feeling to see it help alcoholics in our neighbourhood.
Due to various reasons, I got out of the habit of going to the meetings though, a lot of the friends that I had made during my active meeting going days, continued to drop in and stay in touch. I also sponsored two alcoholics who still keep in touch with me.
After his thanks giving meeting last week, Ranjan asked me if I would like to attend the Monday meeting of our home group. Since making meetings is on my intentions list for 2012, I readily agreed and I attended the meeting on Monday the 9th inst. It was a grand reunion with many of my friends, who without exception were very happy to see me back at a meeting. In fact, I rediscovered the power of the AA movement during that meeting. It is rare to find so much love and fellowship in one room, like what one could get in an AA meeting.
I am glad that I rediscovered AA. I hope to keep it uncovered in the future.
