My name is Dawn, been clean 10 years at the end of the month. Just wanted to check out an online meeting, cause I totally suck on the phone. How many people hang out at this meeting. Do you have sponsor type situations?
Hi Dawn, Congratulations on 10 years! I don't know about the rest of us, but for me face to face sponsorship works best. I have done long distance sponsorship, as far away as Germany and Iraq, but I always have recommended that sponsees find a local sponsor to talk to, even if they need to look in another fellowship. I make this recommendation due to the difficulties of communication at a distance. Glad you are here!
Lon
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Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.----Alice Mackenzie Swaim
Thanks Lon and Seek. I love that we can be worlds away physically and share an instantanious bond through email and the Fellowship. I have a tendancy to isolate and am trying to work my way out of that. I lost my beloved sponsor to cancer, and I haven't had the heart to ask someone else.
Hi Dawn, On May 24, 2006 it will have been two years since I lost my sponsor in a motorcycle accident. He had been my sponsor for all but the first year of my life clean,about 7.5 years. Yes it hurt to lose him, the first person in the world that I admitted my secrets to. I felt kind of guilty for the first year, thinking of "replacing" my sponsor. I finally came to the realization that I could not replace him, but I still needed a sponsor. Knowing that I couldn't replace him, and I could only supplement what he had taught me, made it much easier for me to accept that I needed to find a new sponsor. I found someone who works well in my recovery, and I am know in the process of building a relationship with him. Yes, it still feels awkward at times, but so did cleaning up in the first place. The S&S relationship is working out for both of us, an it gets easier all of the time. It's kind of like riding a horse, when you get thrown you have to crawl back up on it again, despite hurt and fear.
Lon
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Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.----Alice Mackenzie Swaim
Welcome to you to Seeknlife. It's always good to see someone new posting, there will never be enough of us, as long as one addict is still out there suffering. Glad you are here!
Lon
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Courage is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the fragile blossom that opens in the snow.----Alice Mackenzie Swaim
I am one of those who had to turn to another fellowship for a sponsor, but I get a good dose on NA here and my sponsor is also a recovering addict. Keep in touch with the fellowship.
Hi Dawn, first time here too. Trying something new as well. I'm basically an AA gal since the 1990's, but stopped going to meetings and developed a nasty prescription drug habit. So I've been drifting into NA real-life meetings, which are very diff than AA mtgs. Plus I'm making good phone buddies and trying lots of diff meetings. I live on Long Island and we are blessed with THOUSANDS of AA, NA and every other kind of 12-step meeting imaginable. Last night at an AA meeting I learned that Nassau County, where I live, is one of only 2 counties in the whole USA to have a 24-hour AA emergency help line which is constantly manned by a real live recovering alcoholic. Anothing blessing to count.
when i came to NA,,, it was thru Meeting By Mail,, a bi monthly publication done by World servvice Office NA!!
Thats the only Na i got then.
I was attending AA,,, but when after sometime i realized that wasnt the answer,,few of us addicts in AA got meetings started,, after I had tried sometime before !!
Here in Bangalore City,, the IT capital of India,I have used the mails,mail and more mail to get most of my message in rcovery the NA WAY !!!
it has worked,,, iv eeven sponsored addicts in the mail.
Now at this time thers meetings of Na here in this city and I go whenever I can, but habits are formed to be cultivated and I still am mostly a meeting by mail person.
I remember those early days when snail mail wasit,, and my high point in the day was sending or recieving mail from other Loner Group members !!
I still can feel the exitement of finding mail in my box from one of yall,
then it was letters, now its email,,,
I also remember when we had a worldide workshop here on recovery and service and few buddies from the Loner Group were here too,,, imaging knowing someone intimately via mail for many yeras ,yet not having seen em and one fine day you are face to face ???
It pure magic,,, believe me it works !!
One of the Promises in our Fellowship is that thers space for all and any mainfestations of recovery !!!
this means that an addict, any addict can find recovery the NA WAY,within his or her own culture (and in his or her own style of function in recovery)
As simply as we can put it,,, remember that we as recovering addicts are doing the right thing if at the end of the day weve stayed clean another day !!!
Paradise on earth !!!
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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 !!!
