It's been 6 years of carrying the message for my homegroup. We call it Jyothi Group, 'Jyothi' in Hindi meaning 'Light'. Since we never got to celebrate our group anniversary every year, this time, the homegroup members decided we would do so now.
It was an awesome meeting, and I felt so grateful that I was asked to chair it. One of our homegroup members, our newly appointed GSR (A) also completed 1 Year Clean on the same day. We had 2 Speakers who are closely connected and involved with our group recovery meetings, followed by an exciting Q&A Session, lots of questions asked and answered through the flow of positive energy, experience, strength and hope shared by many members from our Area.
The room was packed with 60-65 members who turned up for this special meeting. Every homegroup member contributed in one way or another. It was amazing to be part of such a buzzing recovery atmosphere. I remember when I walked into my homegroup meeting room for the first time, there was only one newcomer who opened the meetings as Group Secretary and our recovery meetings were attended by just 8-10 members as compared to the 25-30 that make up other groups' meetings in our Area. It took a lot of hard work, perseverance, love, care, unity, bringing in Step Study Meetings as our format, committing and regularly participating at the ASC, attracting newcomers to take it up as homegroup... all these efforts over more than 3 years from about half a dozen committed members has made this growth possible... We also have 2 Homegroup members celebrating 1 Year Clean next week - a NA Couple who came into recovery together.
We tried to reach out and invite all our homegroup members - oldtimers, newcomers, those who went back out - to create a sense of bonding among us. We missed one homegroup member though who is not here in India currently. So, we decided to pass on the message the way it was passed on to this oldtimer-homegroup member (there was no NA fellowship or meetings in our Area when he cleaned up) - we gave away free Basic Texts to all newcomers at our anniversary meeting
Just felt like sharing...
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Hi Tahir,, Im delighted to hear that at last the Jyothi actually celebrated the anniversary. It always brightens my day to know how our group has progressed, and I take this opportunity to thank you for dedicating a lot of time, effort (and I suppose money ) in peaking things. I believe we were blessed that you came to that group form your hometown and dedicated yourself in its service !! you my friend have served as an inspiration for me many times in my recovery, with you willingness, honesty and genuine love for the addict that still suffers. with people like you in service, success is an automatic consequence ! I thank God I know you !!
Please also pass on my regards to Solvejg,,who had some wonderful insights to share in those group business meetings. please convey to her my inadequacy in understanding her suggestions the, and that now they make wondrful sense !!!
My spirit was there when I read your share; please know that I am keeping the Jyothi name in good order here by trying to be the best recoverig addict I can (ha,ha,ha !!!), on a daily basis, sharing about it and the way we do things there and the fabulous Fellowship we have. That meeting was my lifeline when I was feling very isolated around the more sophisticated addicts who frequented the cantt. area meetings.
Those were the days when they were building the Lingarajpuram bridge and so I took the ring road,,one straight road from my house to Jyothi, all 12 miles of it (Yes,12!!!).
I am greatful that I met some very real people there. I also want to thank God for so many fantastic meetings after meetings, a very fine culture that is still there. I rememebr with happiness the countless times Benji,Mahesh,Benny, and so many others hit the road to the dhaba pon the highways for another dinner meeting and Fellowship. We have even had the good fortune of doing Nandi Hills, and further afield for ate night tuckins and sharings. Seems that what wasnt shared at meetings but needed to be shared came pouring out;God knows we needed that atmosphere of identification for our ongoing recovery.
Especially valued are the times I spent with my then sponsee Clement who also supported me in my recovery,,we shared late,late into the night,,talk about recovering vampires,,ha haha !!!
Those days spent as Gsr were golden,,and I suppose I was the most talkative of the Gsrs, but I suppose that talkativeness and need to share ideas more frequently than others was sort of appropriate for that phase of my recovery. I wouldnt want to be in a service meeting anymore with that attituse, like it says in the Text "what worked in one phase of recovery may not be appropriate for another". In fact I am now quiet closely associated with an oldtimer here who is going through that phase of recovery too and Im quite gratified that we share about these things,my hope is that in sharing with him he need not repeat the same mistakes I made !!
I also want to say how honoured i felt when I was elected as the Chairman of the worldwdie workshop and was nominated from the Jyothi group and won it unopposedly and uninamously. It doid my self loads of good and most importantly gave me a once in a lifetime experience.
Im also greatful to those members who joined me on those trips to Conventions outside of Bangalore. Talking of 'recovery on the road" became a passion early in my recovery and in Jyothi it reached its fullest potential. The major trips to Bombay (three times), Orissa(once) , Nepal, Mangalore(two times) and Mysore were real recovery highlights.
Well, Id like to say that it seems that this has become a part and parcel of my recovery
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
HOW AWESOME!!!!!!!! What a wonderful "read" both of these posts are! You two are so cool!
Congrats on the anniversary and everything that has gone into these meetings. It awes me that NA is world-wide. Just as the disease knows no borders, neither does the opportunity for recovery.
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From dying and surviving to living and thriving. LeeU
My dear Raman, reading your share and the amazing experiences you've had at Jyothi Group brings tears to my eyes while I was reading it now... I can feel my heart swell in love, gratitude and joy... thank you so much for sharing all that... I wish I could have read this share as part of our anniversary meeting, we could have still got your presence in spirit, if not the hilarious laughter in identification that vibrates in our rooms when you used to share here
Also, gives me an idea as to what we could do before and after our group's recovery meetings to create more intimacy among us, by extending our sharing and caring like you and the other oldtimers used to do here as is evident from your share above, thanks for being with us. Love you, Hugs.
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"If we do an honest examination of exactly what we are giving, we are better able to evaluate the results we are getting."Chapter 10 - Emotional Pain - NA Way of Life.
Lee and Dean,,I know Tahir dosent need my certificate,,but here I go anyway. I have seen him do his best in many unweildy situations to bring in the discipline of the Traditions. I can tell for certain that he did get hurt now and then,,but in the end the Widsom of the Fellowship prevailed,, and the pain wasnt in vain. I know it took a lot of courage Tahir,,, keep on with my dear friend and Fellow,spiritual ally and soul bro !!!
Brings to mind a quote by an Indian President at the height of an international crisis,,when to compromise would have been easier but he held firm to his conviction.
"Freedom is not the choice bewteen the right and wrong,, truly it is the choice of the RIGHT !!!"
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Raman an addict clean and serene just for today in NA Worldwide ; live to love and love to live the NA Way !!!
HOW AWESOME!!!!!!!! What a wonderful "read" both of these posts are! You two are so cool!
