We have a new member here... in my first group- if we had a new members, or members, we would do a Step One meeting.
Basically where everyone could share their ESH- as it was on that day...
...I use social media a lot. I embraced facebook. Our community had doubled in size over the last four years. As a kid this town had 900... with s few outlying settlements. Now we have 5000. Most of the 5000 are fairly anonymous people.
So we have a community facebook page- and some of us wags give each others cheek- [a gentle ribbing] and stuff like that to show folks what rural community is about.
Lots of family live and work in Oz [Australia] and even in America. Great Britain- you name it... and our Facebook page goes out to these expats too...
There is a NZ memory forum which bought up the topic of "P" which is meth in the USA.
I have an interest- through my nephew and partner... and participated this morning. Bought me to tears. Hot humble tears- the healing kind...
...I tend to claim space online- when it is needed to explain something. To draw people in and to find folks who are able to find solutions.
Our world is too scary- and individualistic these days in may view.
I believe that we do need to close ranks sometimes- break down the barriers, and create healthy fruitful boundaries... ...
Alanon is a great place to do this- a haven of hope. ...
Monday is our Labour day. I am going over to the coast to work- starting Tuesday morning. I spent 8 year over there in my late teens and 20's.
my old hunting- or haunting ground.
I run two sheep on the railway lease- as lawnmowers.
Up here in the valleys I once had 90 sheep- fine wooled merinos... when I was young and fit!
I have been doing a few step 12s... not looking for work/service... ... but responding when the opportunity passes my way.
I want to just live now- have fun- relax... etc etc...
and i do find that the company of people like myself to be rich and fulfilling...
we have a regional Alanon assembly coming to a neighbouring town- in the middle of next month.
Have pencilled that in... because I am starving bit for face to face contact.
Must have had puters now for 15 or 18 years or more. have spent 6 or 8 hours a day on 'em since then. Love the source of information. I was one of those book-hungry, and knowledge-hungry kids.
I do not believe i am addicted to the net. But i do need much more time outdoors fishing and bike riding etc.
More time for music- which is a new hobby.
and my back yard garden... dogs too... and family grand-kids...
My dream- is that our 12 Step groups hold 3 or 4 meetings a week- to give everyone a chance to share and participate- when they all are ready to.
Weekend workshops too.
I always say that our groups are not products, they are a process.
We need to pitch in to keep them going and keep them working well. They do not exist outside of us.
Aint had breakfast yet... needed to build up an appetite... ...
thanks for reading me here- it does mean a lot...
cheers,
DavidG.
Temple said
Oct 24, 2020
Blessings, David
Loved the little movie.
Since you mentioned dogs, here's a doggy video. I like the beginning--where he's carrying the tree limbs.
I get mental movies sometimes reading your posts. This was one of those times.
Temple
Lyne said
Oct 25, 2020
I miss my home group F2F meeting so much. We do a zoom on our regular day and time, but of course its not quite the same as sitting in the circle in person. We have a bunch of newcomers which is fine as well. We always were happy to have new people join our group.
Since you mentioned tending sheep, one of my non-program friends gave me a present of a little book written about Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepard. And it compares a sheep herder tending his flock to HP taking care of us. Im enjoying the read.
PosiesandPuppies said
Oct 25, 2020
I love your Saturday shares, David!
I agree with Temple... I get "mental movies" as well! So good!
&
DavidG said
Oct 30, 2020
Saturday 31st Oct.
I had an eventful week. Working near the city- where there is an Alanon meeting. The main meeting is at 12.30 so I usually miss it.
My nearest group is running zoom meetings. I does lookalike the groups burgeoning. My mum used to say: "It's an ill wind that doesn't do somebody some good." There are expectations that out of the covid situation there will be changes... which if managed well make life easier for all people.
My grand-dad was in France with the Spanish pandemic broke out. This not mentioned by name- it is likely that he observed the impact of the spreading virus. His diary entries point in this direction. Like with doughboy, Bill W., these otherwise sheltered young man were exposed to drinking and smoking... ...all the ills of society.
I met up with someone in my network of friends last week. Her ex. was a workmate of mine. They were at the edge of my network of friends who were pretty chronic junkies.
The downstream crash-bang of situations arising from this lifestyle was devastating. Brings out the survivor instincts in everyone.
She asked my why I didn't use. Had to think about this one. I grew up in poverty and squalor. I grew up with drinking- which sucked out our cash base, and soaked up all the fun, dancing and singing that might have made light of a tough life.
We had a day out which was nice. It was raining and I could not paint. We spent time with a friend of her's, went out and had lunch, went to a presentation at the city art gallery, which was about a project I am involved with. So proud of that. Then I went with her to her Zen circle- which was a superb form of meditation.
My friend has been through the rape crisis scenario and know little of nothing about 12 Step groups. So we had some deep and interesting conversations.
We had taken her battery bike out with us- but it rained and she did not ride.
She left the helmet in my truck- and I had to return it yesterday. I little out of my way.
"I thought you would be angry with me," she said.
So I suppose that was the sort of expectation she had.
Glad to notice that I am not perpetuating that sort of behaviour! ...
Despite the one wet day I had a productive week. Caught up yesterday.
Nice go be home. I am going to the city about one week a month...
cheers, and thanks for reading me...
DavidG.
DavidG said
Oct 30, 2020
There was a time here, or so I was told- when it was taboo to take a second share here, on the same day.
If this is still the case- please try and tell me gently- and not to ban me from the group. ...
10 days ago I had a share ad promised to give feed back. It was a share which i deleted after about 10 people had read it.
It was really a meeting style share- which is best left in the rooms.
My dream was to compete Step 12 this year- and focus on Tradition 5 next year.
I don't think we practise the traditions consecutively, like the steps. Is this true?
Maybe over the past four or five years I have made contact with old friends. Relationships with my sibs have slowly improved too. Sometimes cousins are a bit more neutral, and sometimes that make good catalysts. Even though they fight amongst themselves.
But lately I encountered someone I didn't know. I had worked with her late ex. And they had been attached to my close circle of friends who were junkies.
AA, NA, Alanon, Naranon, ACA would all have suited this person. But the growth for her came from the Rape Crisis arena.
Not a bad thing either! ...
...so comparing notes- with lots of heavy references to our life experiences- has been formative.
We can go out into the highways and byways with our message. However, maybe a lot of that would be lost on the wind.
Today I find a lot of scope here- with MIP Alanon.
And finding candidates to talk with- are at my elbow and my shoulder... ...
Maresie888 said
Oct 30, 2020
David
Thank you so much for reminding me of the victories there have been in recovery circles. A friend of mine states that we have to celebrate our victories
Technically we are in shelter in place but you would not know if from some people's bejavior. They just choose to ignore the requirement. Technically they are so entitled but they are absolutely uncooperative. My qualifier was in that category. He was always sobbing too about what bad luck he had
The large group meetings here are all on hold. There will be no.face to face for a while because of social distancing ussues. Really it is pretty hard to get a lot of people in revovety to cooperate including myself. Therefore in orfer not to be cited they are going to hold off indefiiutely
Chrostmas is fenerally the time I go into #poor ne# I am working overtime not to go there.
It is really difficult not to be in my normal feel sorry for myself mode this time of year
I have made tremendous progress on my bills. I hsve really knocked then out the park.
Basically where everyone could share their ESH- as it was on that day...
...I use social media a lot. I embraced facebook. Our community had doubled in size over the last four years. As a kid this town had 900... with s few outlying settlements. Now we have 5000. Most of the 5000 are fairly anonymous people.
So we have a community facebook page- and some of us wags give each others cheek- [a gentle ribbing] and stuff like that to show folks what rural community is about.
Lots of family live and work in Oz [Australia] and even in America. Great Britain- you name it... and our Facebook page goes out to these expats too...
There is a NZ memory forum which bought up the topic of "P" which is meth in the USA.
I have an interest- through my nephew and partner... and participated this morning. Bought me to tears. Hot humble tears- the healing kind...
...I tend to claim space online- when it is needed to explain something. To draw people in and to find folks who are able to find solutions.
Our world is too scary- and individualistic these days in may view.
I believe that we do need to close ranks sometimes- break down the barriers, and create healthy fruitful boundaries...
...
Alanon is a great place to do this- a haven of hope.
...
Monday is our Labour day. I am going over to the coast to work- starting Tuesday morning. I spent 8 year over there in my late teens and 20's.
my old hunting- or haunting ground.
I run two sheep on the railway lease- as lawnmowers.
Up here in the valleys I once had 90 sheep- fine wooled merinos... when I was young and fit!
I have been doing a few step 12s... not looking for work/service... ... but responding when the opportunity passes my way.
I want to just live now- have fun- relax... etc etc...
and i do find that the company of people like myself to be rich and fulfilling...
we have a regional Alanon assembly coming to a neighbouring town- in the middle of next month.
Have pencilled that in... because I am starving bit for face to face contact.
Must have had puters now for 15 or 18 years or more. have spent 6 or 8 hours a day on 'em since then. Love the source of information. I was one of those book-hungry, and knowledge-hungry kids.
I do not believe i am addicted to the net. But i do need much more time outdoors fishing and bike riding etc.
More time for music- which is a new hobby.
and my back yard garden... dogs too... and family grand-kids...
My dream- is that our 12 Step groups hold 3 or 4 meetings a week- to give everyone a chance to share and participate- when they all are ready to.
Weekend workshops too.
I always say that our groups are not products, they are a process.
We need to pitch in to keep them going and keep them working well. They do not exist outside of us.
Aint had breakfast yet... needed to build up an appetite...
...
thanks for reading me here- it does mean a lot...
cheers,
DavidG.
Loved the little movie.
Since you mentioned dogs, here's a doggy video. I like the beginning--where he's carrying the tree limbs.
www.youtube.com/watch
I get mental movies sometimes reading your posts. This was one of those times.
Temple
Since you mentioned tending sheep, one of my non-program friends gave me a present of a little book written about Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepard. And it compares a sheep herder tending his flock to HP taking care of us. Im enjoying the read.
I agree with Temple... I get "mental movies" as well! So good!
Saturday 31st Oct.
I had an eventful week. Working near the city- where there is an Alanon meeting. The main meeting is at 12.30 so I usually miss it.
My nearest group is running zoom meetings. I does lookalike the groups burgeoning. My mum used to say: "It's an ill wind that doesn't do somebody some good." There are expectations that out of the covid situation there will be changes... which if managed well make life easier for all people.
My grand-dad was in France with the Spanish pandemic broke out. This not mentioned by name- it is likely that he observed the impact of the spreading virus. His diary entries point in this direction. Like with doughboy, Bill W., these otherwise sheltered young man were exposed to drinking and smoking... ...all the ills of society.
I met up with someone in my network of friends last week. Her ex. was a workmate of mine. They were at the edge of my network of friends who were pretty chronic junkies.
The downstream crash-bang of situations arising from this lifestyle was devastating. Brings out the survivor instincts in everyone.
She asked my why I didn't use. Had to think about this one. I grew up in poverty and squalor. I grew up with drinking- which sucked out our cash base, and soaked up all the fun, dancing and singing that might have made light of a tough life.
We had a day out which was nice. It was raining and I could not paint. We spent time with a friend of her's, went out and had lunch, went to a presentation at the city art gallery, which was about a project I am involved with. So proud of that. Then I went with her to her Zen circle- which was a superb form of meditation.
My friend has been through the rape crisis scenario and know little of nothing about 12 Step groups. So we had some deep and interesting conversations.
We had taken her battery bike out with us- but it rained and she did not ride.
She left the helmet in my truck- and I had to return it yesterday. I little out of my way.
"I thought you would be angry with me," she said.
So I suppose that was the sort of expectation she had.
Glad to notice that I am not perpetuating that sort of behaviour!
...
Despite the one wet day I had a productive week. Caught up yesterday.
Nice go be home. I am going to the city about one week a month...
cheers, and thanks for reading me...
DavidG.
If this is still the case- please try and tell me gently- and not to ban me from the group.
...
10 days ago I had a share ad promised to give feed back. It was a share which i deleted after about 10 people had read it.
It was really a meeting style share- which is best left in the rooms.
My dream was to compete Step 12 this year- and focus on Tradition 5 next year.
I don't think we practise the traditions consecutively, like the steps. Is this true?
Maybe over the past four or five years I have made contact with old friends. Relationships with my sibs have slowly improved too. Sometimes cousins are a bit more neutral, and sometimes that make good catalysts. Even though they fight amongst themselves.
But lately I encountered someone I didn't know. I had worked with her late ex. And they had been attached to my close circle of friends who were junkies.
AA, NA, Alanon, Naranon, ACA would all have suited this person. But the growth for her came from the Rape Crisis arena.
Not a bad thing either!
...
...so comparing notes- with lots of heavy references to our life experiences- has been formative.
We can go out into the highways and byways with our message. However, maybe a lot of that would be lost on the wind.
Today I find a lot of scope here- with MIP Alanon.
And finding candidates to talk with- are at my elbow and my shoulder...
...
David
Thank you so much for reminding me of the victories there have been in recovery circles. A friend of mine states that we have to celebrate our victories
Technically we are in shelter in place but you would not know if from some people's bejavior. They just choose to ignore the requirement. Technically they are so entitled but they are absolutely uncooperative. My qualifier was in that category. He was always sobbing too about what bad luck he had
The large group meetings here are all on hold. There will be no.face to face for a while because of social distancing ussues. Really it is pretty hard to get a lot of people in revovety to cooperate including myself. Therefore in orfer not to be cited they are going to hold off indefiiutely
Chrostmas is fenerally the time I go into #poor ne# I am working overtime not to go there.
It is really difficult not to be in my normal feel sorry for myself mode this time of year
I have made tremendous progress on my bills. I hsve really knocked then out the park.
Thank you for.keeping us all updated
Maresie