No cross talking here that i've ever seen I think if people are ok with interupting there shares thats fine but it might talke up a lot of sharing for others.

WOW nice country side and NEAT churchs I would definetly like to see inside those old churchs,,,, crypt OOOOHH

Lots of old history in Europe very old history!!!

HAve a good time Raman make new friends

I personally mention others' name and what they just shared at times only when I could relate or what others shared made a huge impact and gave me directions as to my personal situation at that moment. I guess that's ok to do even though usually I don't do that all the time. I generally mention "what the other member shared..." in such cases where I could relate or benefit...

It's usually not healthy to mention what someone shared when I'm gonna share something which is a different perspective or understanding of the program as this might contradict what the other has shared, or even not ok for me to mention what other has shared when I am going to share a solution to someone having shared their problem to which I could relate as that becomes group therapy in a way. That I think is not what NA is. I just share having been through the same situation/problem and how I used the program to overcome/deal with it in a neutral and general way. However, these are just my limited understanding and experiences that I have picked up from the Program.

But then, as one of us mentioned above, there are so many differences in NA meetings according to which part of the world they are held in and the influence of local culture.

I have been to meetings in an entirely different part of India where the Chair actually acted as a Group Therapy Facilitator, who after each member has shared, used to motivate and advise, and sometimes, even tell the sharer what they should do or not do. That was a bit surprising for me and very unlike NA to be a part of, in the beginning, then I just kept going to this meeting as I needed a NA meeting for myself anyway, and thus, got used to it all during my stay there Then, I also realized that these isolated group of addicts did the best they could with whatever they could pick up from the little literature they had come across. They were not connected to other area fellowships of our region as such, and as such just did not know any better. They did not even have or come across a group booklet. They had just started NA meetings with the help of a couple of members from the other 12 Step fellowship and the culture there as such was so that the suffering addicts were usually from the local tribe and the few members who were in recovery were from the higher strata of society there. My first instinct was to tell them that this is not how it is done in NA meetings and to tell them how it should be done. But then, I realized that there were far more deeper dynamics involved in their living there. Instead, when they offered me to Chair one of their meetings, I just did it the NA way so that they all get to experience how it's done in other places. Then, I just left a copy of the Group booklet with them, asking them to just go through it. The rest was upto the Higher Power I guess...

But let me tell you, the way it worked there, IT WORKED anyway. There were so many newcomers coming into this meeting every other day, and they were cared and loved for, and many of them were indeed learning to live clean, and there was a warm relationship between the oldtimers and the newcomers that seemed just like in any other NA fellowship around the world. So, all did seem well, in their own way

-- Edited by Tahir at 04:04, 2008-10-28

LOL LOL $200 flight heck they might let me hang on the wing for that price


NUH UH I know how you furiners drive in them leeeeetle souped up cars LOL

Yeah,, I think thats why the oldtimers picked OPENMINDEDNESS as a Key Concept and Outstanding Principle and a Conerstone of our Spirtiual Program. 


Ha,ha,ha,, no Vin,, you dont have to hang on the wing,,thats for free. For 200 bucks you get standing space only. hahaha !!!

-- Edited by Raman at 20:37, 2008-10-30

Yes Vin,, I saw that ,,,heheheh....
I was also think how when we lose our spiritual condition for whatever reasonn,,
life becomes like

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET !!
What do you think ??

Yes, I guess so, and provided, if how we comment on what others' share is in a loving and embracing way, and is not offensive or hurtful to the person whose share we comment on

That sounds like an awesome experience, wow