We feared that if we ever revealed ourselves as we were, we would surely be rejected.... [But] our fellow members do understand us.
Basic Text, p. 32
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We need our fellow NA memberstheir experience, their friendship, their laughter, their guidance, and much, much more. Yet many of us hesitate to call our sponsor or visit our NA friends. We dont want to impose on them. We think about phoning someone, but we dont feel worthy of their time. We fear that if they ever got to know usreally know ustheyd surely reject us.
We forget that our fellow NA members are just like us. Theres nothing weve done, no place weve been, no feeling weve felt that other recovering addicts wont be able to identify with. The more we let others get to know us, the more well hear, Youre in the right place. Youre among friends. You belong. Welcome!
We also forget that, just as we need others, they need us. Were not the only ones who want to feel like we belong, who want to experience the warmth of friendship, who want someone to share with. If we isolate ourselves from our fellow members, we deprive them of something they need, something only we can give them: our time, our company, our true selves.
In Narcotics Anonymous, recovering addicts care for one another. What waits at the other end of the telephone is not rejection, but the love, warmth, and identification of the NA Fellowship. Make that call!
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Just for today: In NA, I am among friends. I will reach out to others, giving and receiving in fellowship.
Funny that this came up today. I was just at a meeting where a newcomer said he called a bunch of numbers from the list he was given. He got several no answers and a few 'number disconnected" it was three days and none of the voicemails he left were answered. I think that this practice of passing around a meeting list and having the people presant at the meeting write down their phone number may not be the best idea. Back in the day newbs were encouraged to approach members of the fellowship who they thought they could relate to and ASK for their number. I wonder which way is best?
In my homegroup up North, New Daze, when a list was passed for a newcomer to have numbers to call I would personally give the list to the person, or (group members) would point to our names and let them identify the faces with the names and then also have them write or put in cell if they chose to,after introducing ourselves....When I first came around ,in a fog,last thing I was gonna do was call people I didnt know.It was better for me to actually have a face registered to a name and interaction with that person.This is my stuff and helped me more then just a blank list of names.Our homegroup,monthly business meetings would include digging further into our 5th tradition realizing that carrying the message of recovery was so important,our primary purpose as a group,that we would inventory our actions,.Are we reaching all addicts?how well do we carry the message? how to make meetings more accessible,make newcomers feel more at home(list thing)change in format periodically?etc....It helped us to ensure as group members WE were doing the best we could to serve the groups purpose.Of course WE know how business meetings sometimes tend to go and our 1st tradition strongly would come into play also
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Our purpose is to remain clean,just for today,and to carry the message of recovery.
What I have found from personal experience is that when I did call other addicts, they tended to be pre-occupied, often I would never get a call back. When someone did call me I felt as if they were playing one-upmanship. At least they called me back.
