Web Exclusive: Fun and Fellowship—Marathon Style

Dawn still lurked two hours away on a cold, crisp day, as the cars eased into the Park and Ride near the local turnpike entrance. Eleven friends, some new, some old, were meeting to embark upon a day of AA fun and fellowship, marathon style. What this AA received that day was so much more.

Two months prior, myself and four of these same friends were on a six hour drive to Boston for the privilege of listening to four speakers share their experience, strength, and hope, as well as to have the world’s best sloppy Joe’s. Dubbed “the usual suspects” by yours truly, this band of friends, dedicated to sobriety and the carrying of the message of Alcoholics Anonymous, have been known to take on many interesting and challenging road trips, all in the name of “carrying the message.” I have grown to love these men, and what they have taught me. I am truly blessed.

As the miles rolled by that evening, I wondered, aloud, if it would be possible to do multiple meetings, in multiple states, in the same day. And if so, how many? I mean, here we were driving all day and all night just to attend one venue. My friends and I laughed about the idea, but the seed had been planted.

That seed was germinated and grew into a plan over the next six weeks. There was a time in my life when all ideas where hatched on a bar stool, and never went any further than that same stool. Gradually, as my drinking progressed, ideas and plans gave way to the next drink. Hope and possibility were no longer words in my active vocabulary. But sobriety had taught me, in these magical first two years, that anything was possible if you were willing to go to any lengths.

So I sat down with an atlas, meeting lists, and the Internet, and prepared myself to find that this was logistically impossible or would take too long to figure out. I was wrong on both counts. Not only was it possible in theory, but it could be done, and it took all of two hours to figure it out. Six meetings, six different states, one day!! The task was a challenge, but it came together. I was so excited I could barely contain myself as I called my friends and laid out what God had revealed to me. The excitement was returned ten-fold. They were immediately on board. One member wanted to leave immediately, but I reminded him we still had the holidays to survive.

The idea was cultivated by those friends, as we sought others who shared our enthusiasm. It did not take long at all. We decided to rent a fifteen-passenger van and make the trip in style and comfort. All told, 10 AA’s and myself formed the team. The course was laid out; New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia, in that order. What follows is our day.

6:45 a.m.—Franklinville, N.J.  (Friends Gather Here Group)