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Tonight's meeting was a discussion on early sobriety. A couple of things on mine:

I traveled halfway across the country when I was only 6 months sober. I searched the 'net for meetings in the tiny town where I'd be and printed the map to them. Though I didn't go every day, I did go 2 or 3 times that week. It was important for me to connect with AA there. That was the start of one of my favorite joys today, going to meetings wherever I travel - worldwide!

I waited 9 months before getting a sponsor, something I don't recommend. I was too afraid to ask for so long. In light of my experiences as a sponsor over the past 10 months, I must encourage newcomers to ask that person with whom they resonate! When you hear someone consistently sharing things that speak to you, when they back up what they say with their actions, TALK TO THEM! My experiences with the 2 guys I sponsor have been and are a great highlight of my sobriety. I would be missing out on some amazing boosts to my recovery were these guys not to have asked me to sponsor them. For that I am truly grateful.

Big Book - No Smoke (got some great names around here!) celebrated its 16th anniversary tonight. A potluck dinner, fellowship and a speaker... Glad I went.

A Rube Goldberg Machine is an incredibly overengineered apparatus that performs a very simple task in very indirect and convoluted fashion.

Tonight we talked about the 9th Tradition - "A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve." One person mentioned how amazing it is that a meeting can happen even if the chairperson doesn't show up. This made me think about my view of The Universe, God, The Flow, etc. It's one huge Rube Goldberg machine! However, unlike those made by men, this one has infinite contingencies available. It may or may not be to complete one simple task. (42...)

If we were to give key parts of a man-made RGM free will, then they could choose to do things other than what they were put in place for. This would break the machine. But, if there were backup pieces available to handle the job of a piece that wandered off, then the machine would still work. That's my general view of The Universe. If I am turning my thinking and my actions over to God as I understand God, then I'll perform my role in the Universe for that moment. When I take back my will and my life, The Universe's contingency plan kicks in and the giant RGM moves whatever to wherever it needs to be to continue the work.

This is the first time I've tried to put this into a coherent thought. It's definitely rough, but I think I've gotten the basics across.

Now, back to Tradition 9... AA is a RGM that's a part of the giant RGM. It's like a smaller version of it. AA's simple task is to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. It's going to happen whether or not I do what I'm "supposed" to do. If I'm supposed to chair a meeting and don't show up, someone else will chair the meeting. If I'm supposed to give my number to someone and I don't, someone else will give them their number. If I'm supposed to say something in a meeting and I don't, someone else will say what needs to be said. Now this doesn't give me an excuse to not participate and do what I'm supposed to do. It simply shows that if I don't, the work will still happen and other alcoholics will achieve sobriety. The kicker??? I won't keep mine. Sure I can mess up here and there; it's what we do. But, if I don't do my best as much as I can, I can be damn sure that I will reap the consequences and AA will keep on keeping on.

Still a little rough, but I hope you get the gist...

When I look back on the tough times I've experienced while sober, times when I'd definitely have been drunk without my program of recovery, I can so easily find the blessings and lessons I gained by making it through it without taking a drink. It's so worth not taking that drink and finding where God is taking me, provided I can stay out of my own way.

I planned to go to a 6PM meeting tonight, but a friend was up for an 8PM one. So I went to both! Good plan... The 6PM's topic was a little difficult for me to relate to; most everyone was sharing about children being affected by parents drinking and such. Still, I'm glad I was there. A newcomer approached me as I was leaving and asked me for my number. How funny is it that I noticed his Baptist church t-shirt early in the meeting and mentally checked him off as someone who wouldn't want anything to do with me? Then I thought about how it's a shame that the "good" Baptists are so tainted by the "bad" ones. Thanks, God. Maybe he'll call.

The second meeting was pretty cool. I hadn't been to it in years. It's a moderated step-study, where someone shares on a step speaker-style (8 tonight) for about 20 minutes and then calls on someone in the group to share. After sharing, that person calls on someone else and so on. It was a good meeting. I think I'll go again.