True Love At the Assembly

In my seventh year of sobriety, I decided to spend a few months in Arizona to attend a seminar and visit family. I had every intention of returning home to the East Coast, however I found the sunshine and proximity to my family irresistible. There was also a guy, but that’s another story.



As you might have guessed, it didn’t work out with the guy, thank God. The move had not gone off as I had planned, and I fell into a deep depression. Fortunately, I had sober feet that brought me to meetings, but I was extremely restless, irritable and discontent. Compared to where I got sober, Arizona AA was so different (aka, wrong). Often mistaken for a newcomer since I was always crying, I managed to find some humility and asked a woman to be my sponsor. I joined her home group and attended their next business meeting.



The group was electing a General Service Representative and I desperately needed a commitment. Having almost no idea what the position entailed, I reluctantly agreed to fulfill the two-year term. What followed seemed to be an endless string of business meetings where everyone else seem to understand what was happening and they spoke a strange language full of random-sounding acronyms. 



Looking back now, I can see that the beginning of my participation in general service had a lot of similarities to when I got sober. Back then, I resented everyone for being so happy and comfortable while I felt awkward and lost. Despite my fears of people and of looking bad, I continued to show up. I heard my first sponsor’s voice saying, “Bring the body and the mind will follow.” 



As weeks turned into months, I began to get to know these weirdos and soon the people who drove me crazy were becoming my friends. When I asked questions, I didn’t feel judged, and slowly the gibberish started to make sense. By the time the second year was coming to an end, I was surprised to find that I would miss general service. It was time to rotate and I felt like I was just finally getting a clue! This led to some willingness to find something else to do. 



For the past 12 years, I have continued to find something to do in general service. Just like staying sober, I get to grow and learn by being willing and showing up. 

Acronym alert! I had the opportunity to serve as alternate DCMC (District Committee Member Chairperson) for our district/county. The position was funded to attend PRAASA (Pacific Region AA Service Assembly) in Bellevue, Washington. I had no idea what that meant, but I took the action to be there. It turns out that my experience was both mind-blowing and lifechanging.



Interacting with fellow service junkies from the 15 areas of the Pacific Region, as well as the GSO (General Service Office) and AA Grapevine staff, made me realize I was just scratching the surface of understanding the Traditions, the Concepts, love and service.



At PRAASA, a friend who knows how much I love Grapevine introduced me to the Executive Editor and Publisher. During conversation, she mentioned that I might like to apply to be a member of the Grapevine EAB (Editorial Advisory Board). If you’re like me, you’re wondering, What the heck is that? Well, I found out and had the honor to serve four years on the committee—an extraordinary experience I will always cherish. 



A few of my favorite service functions: volunteering at the Grapevine display at the 2015 International Convention in Atlanta; helping the Pacific Region celebrate the 20th birthday of La Viña in Phoenix; serving on the host committee for the 55th ICYPAA (International Conference of Young People in AA) in Phoenix. The most fun position ever for me was as the area Grapevine Coordinator, during which I happened to also be the chairperson for the Arizona State Convention (Grapevine-themed, of course). I also got to serve on the committee for PRAASA 2020 in Tucson.



AA has been a safe place for me to do scary things, which has created the willingness to be uncomfortable in other areas of life. By serving on committees, I’ve gotten to practice leadership and take on challenges that I could have never faced in my drinking days.



Speaking of scary things, I met my husband in general service. He’s my first marriage and I’m his fifth—and last—wife. We are one of those annoyingly cute couples that I used to gag over. In the years since I was a GSR, we would run into each other at AA events, assemblies, meetings or parties, and eventually we became friends. At some point we started flirting with each other, although never at the same time. 



Finally, in 2013 I asked him to take me to dinner. It turned into a date (as I suspected) and I think we were both shocked at how effortlessly our relationship developed. Before then, I had never really believed that I could spend the rest of my life with someone. It wasn’t long before he proposed to me at an area assembly during the Saturday night banquet. GSRs attending their first assembly were very excited. We had a beautiful wedding full of loving friends from the Fellowship, a day which could not have been more magical.



My husband recently completed his second year as the Arizona Area Delegate. I had the incredible honor of being his guest at the General Service Conference in New York, which is a story for another day. My world has gotten so big thanks to my sobriety and adventures in general service. I’ve come to consider the Arizona Area my other home group. We are people who normally would not mix, but I’m so happy we did. If you have an opportunity to serve as GSR, I highly recommend it. You never know what your Higher Power might have planned.