"In time, we can relax and enjoy the atmosphere of recovery."
Basic Text, p. 56
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Imagine what would happen if a newcomer walked into one of our meetings and was met by a group of grim-faced people gripping the arms of their chairs with white knuckles. That newcomer would probably bolt, perhaps muttering, "I thought I could get off drugs and be happy."
Thankfully, our newcomers are usually met by a group of friendly, smiling folks who are obviously fairly content with the lives they've found in Narcotics Anonymous. What an enormous amount of hope this provides! A newcomer, whose life has been deadly serious, is strongly attracted by an atmosphere of laughter and relaxation. Coming from a place where everything is taken seriously, where disaster always waits around the next corner, its a welcome relief to enter a room and find people who generally dont take themselves too seriously, who are ready for something wonderful.
We learn to lighten up in recovery. We laugh at the absurdity of our addiction. Our meetings--those rooms filled with the lively, happy sounds of percolating coffee, clattering chairs, and laughing addicts--are the gathering places where we first welcome our newcomers and let them know that, yes, we're having fun now.
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Just for today: I can laugh at myself. I can take a joke. I will lighten up and have some fun today.
Today my day is opposite of being happy , I want to roll up in a ball and die . It has been very abusive day at my house , physically and mentally , my wife thinks she is wonderful to live with and belittles me about anything , telling me I forget everything and then hits me if I don't give her the right answer. Right now I want to either shoot her or hit her with my cane . I don't have a car , if I call the cops she turn the story around .
