The Failure to Grow

IN the group that I choose to call my home group. . .though I say that I belong to all AA groups everywhere. . .the fellows (and they're all fellows in my group but me--I'm a girl) always start the meetings with a great display of love and warmth for the new man. He, it seems, is always the most important person in the room and, as the chair goes, so goes the meeting. Not that I resent all this attention being paid to this joe (although I cannot recall any such demonstration when I joined the group) but since his affairs seem to be in such good hands, I'd like to make a pitch for the so called old-timer.