Oldtimers

Web Exclusive: Must We Hear from Her Again?

It took years for this member to see that an old-timer’s simple message was the way to go.

“I came to AA to get the family off my back!”

“There she goes again,” I said as I nudged another newcomer next to me. She was Mercy, one of the matriarchs of the Monday night meeting who at that time had 30-plus years of sobriety. I was a relative newcomer with a couple of years who thought I knew everything about sobriety and AA and the book and AA history and how to share at meetings and … well, everything.

I had read many books on sobriety and recovery and knew that the purpose of meetings was to dig deep into psychological “issues” and how they related to my sobriety. I knew deep down that a solution as simple as... Login to read more
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Web Exclusive: What It’s Like Now

April 2011: Get in the car