The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
This will be my first time to tell my story and I have no clue where to start. Do I start off with the day I was born, events that shaped the woman I am today OR Start with when I was first introduced to the disease and the outcome of how I handled those situations and the emotions that were left behind?
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Everything I have ever let go of has claw marks all over it.
How about.... start with whatever feels comfortable for you?? Just think about what story you want to tell, and then that might help guide you on how much background information you want/need to share that will help support the story.... Just be yourself - be honest - speak from the heart - and you'll do great!!
Tom
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"He is either gonna drink, or he won't.... what are YOU gonna do?"
"What you think of me is none of my business"
"If you knew the answer to what you are worrying about, would it REALLY change anything?"
I agree with Canadian Guy - go with whateer feels comfortable. Practise in front of a mirror or an obliging friend. Jot some key words down on a few post cards to hold in your hand and glance down at in case you dry up. Smile at your audience, look up and take some deep breaths, you know you can do it! Good luck!
Yay Mo!! I wanna hear it!! For me there are some guidelines like how much time do you have and will there be discussion after you speak and pick a subject. I love that one because I get to tell and then learn from others again. My early sponsor told me "be interested not just interesting". HP always because the fear is always there for me and the realization I cannot do a summation of my existence within alcoholism in just a few minutes. Take your time, paint your picture then describe it. If you talk about some "Woe is me" balance it with "Whoa...It's me!!" or the what happened, what you found out and what it's like today. Anyhow you and your HP will do just fine and I wish I could be there to learn and support. (((((hugs)))))
I've told my story a few times and for me it is good to break the ice with a little humor......a story or joke relating to Al-anon.
Barbara you will do a wonderful job, I'm sure of that, I only wish I could be there to hear your story.
I hope you can include in your story what you related in a post on MIP over a year ago. You told us about an alcoholic telling in his story and stating that no alcoholic has ever said "He was saved by his Mom". That story has been a great help to me and others as I have used it in ES&H when the time was appropriate.
Take HP along with you and just be yourself.....everything else will fall into place.
congrats , obviously someone thinks u have a recovery story worth hearing .
The unwritten format for speaking goes like this
What your life was like before recovery , shortest part of the talk What brought u into program What your life is like now ,what have u gained by following our program .
I have had the priviledge of speaking at conventions and for me the easiest way to tell my story is by using the steps as a guide . good luck your gonna do great.
Thanks everyone for your wonderful suggestions. My sponsor told me that I cannot take notes with me, I have to take my HP with me, open my mouth and talk. I've never had a problem opening my mouth and talking, my father told me long ago that he thinks I was born talking.
As for a joke, the only Al-Anon joke I know is ... How many Al-Anon members does it take to screw in a light bulb. None...They all detach and let it s***w itself. I'm not sure that is appropriate but I may use it anyway, they will just have to deal with it.
The clencher to this talk is that my hubby also attends the same Al-Anon groups that I do. However, during our early marriage he drank quite heavily and by all accounts he is a recoverying alcoholic, but has never shared that part of his life with any of the groups. After I was asked to speak he told me that if I need to include that in my story that he is comfortable with it but he wants to share it with the group before I speak.
This was a great milestone in both of our recovery's and I am so thankful. Now if I can begin my story, after he says what he has to say, without tears then I think I will be ok. I do know that I will begin with an ammend to the group for all the times I said that I had no reference to dealing with an alcoholic spouse and that I was lieing. I could not reveal that part of his life for him, he had to do that. SO..........I'm taking my HP with me, gonna open my mouth and let it fly.
Thanks again, you all have been such a huge help. Barb
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Everything I have ever let go of has claw marks all over it.
I've been asked to speak at a meeting once, and I declined. I'm very painfully shy in person and the thought of speaking filled me with terror. It took me a good 6 months in the program before I'd even share in a meeting.
My sponsor told me now, though, that my answer should always be YES. My sponsor is a very wise woman with 25+ years in the program. I want what she has, and I certainly can't get it doing any of the things I've tried. So if I get asked again, I guess I'll be speaking. :)
White Rabbit, My sponsor as well as my grand sponsor go to the same meeting so I didn't have a choice but to speak. The two of them would have come down on me like a eagle chasing a mouse. LOL
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Everything I have ever let go of has claw marks all over it.
