Hi, my name is Rob and I am an addict. WOW, it feels GREAT to say that without a qualifying statement of some kind or another!
I'm 44 years old, an 18 month member of AA and an out-patient with 6 & 1/2 months clean & sober. I've been a member over across the cyber-hall at the AA MIP Board for about 16 months or so.
The reason it feels so good to be here is that I live in a semi-rural, middle-America small town with 7 total AA meetings a week and the closest NA meetings are miles-n-miles away. The Old Timer AA's can be less-than-welcoming to "you junkies and your powders, pills, pot & poppers and whatever the heck ya'll sniffle, snort and smoke." I think a few of ya'll know what I mean.
Oh...I'm an Alkie alright...thru & thru...but I'm also a grateful recovering drug addict. My life would either be a full-on train wreck of a past-tense event without AA, God & The Program along with some solid addiction therapy.
Thanks for having a place for me to come and feel welcome and at home.
Anyway... I could use some pretty tall-order experience/strength/hope right off the bat. In out-patient I saw a strong need for NA in my community, so I have done the paperwork and started a group. The Decorah Peace Narcotics Anonymous Group, part of the Clean & Free Area of the The Iowa Service Region. The Decorah Peace Group holds a Closed Topic/Participation Meeting (children welcome w/toys available) Tuesday evening, 6pm Northeast Iowa Peace & Justice Center, Inc. 119 Winnebago Street, Decorah, IA 52101 563-419-4970
I am currently the only Trusted Servant for the Decorah Peace Group. I've ordered my starter kit, read (and am re-re-reading The Group Booklet), and am durrently reading Narcotics Anonymous & It Works - How & Why before our first meeting...February 1st.
I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm scared, I'm humble and I'm very, very ignorant. What I have is my HP, a community in need and the memories of Our Fallen.
What I DON'T have is other NAs and their particular E/S/H about starting a group & the pitfalls of new meetings. I DO have my AA sponsor helping me. I chose him as my sponsor because of his extensive drug history.
I humbly and openly ask for any and all input.
Thanks & Peace, Rob
-- Edited by Aquaman on Sunday 16th of January 2011 06:57:11 PM
Hi Rob I was in a similar situation 6mnths ago I did the same as you, it was scarey to start with but the meeting has been a great success. Once the meeting has been open for a few weeks and you have some other members then you can have a group concious meeting and the group can elect service positions. Good luck my friend and keep the faith.....
Congratulations on doing the foot work to start an NA meeting in your community. Open and close on time even if you're the only one there. Read all the opening meeting readings even if only you. Might seem silly but it's not, it's life and death. Your Higher Power will be there with you too. And bring NA literature to read! That's what I did anyway when I started a group a number of years ago for the same reasons. At first there were times it was a meeting of one, so I read and I stayed Clean.
Have you asked your AA sponsor with extensive drug history to attend? Might start as a meeting of two.
I'd also reach out to the nearest NA Area Service Committee and make sure they know of the new meeting in advance.
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Work the Steps or Die MF. (My Friend :) Clean One Day At a Time by The Grace of God through The Power of NA
