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.
I have one of those lives that's difficult to work around. But I just kept working on it, took me nearly a year but got there. I went on my lunch break (I do a lot on my lunch breaks due to my schedule) and it was great to go. The only drawback is it appears to be a 1.5 hour meeting and I can only be there for 1 hour, I wish I could be there for the end of it so I can talk to people. Is it really bad form to go late?
I'll go back, I'll go several times to see how it feels with this group, large diverse group which is nice to me.
My schedule is that I get up at 5:45, get me and my kids off for school/work, work from 8-5, pick up from daycare, get home at 6 or 6:15, do dinner/homework/bath/chores/bed and by then it's 9-10pm. I am a single parent and my ex does not have living quarters to have my kids spend the night or stay long with him and my youngest does not do well being babysat nor do I really care to be away from my kids anymore than I am already.
Weekends are difficult as I generally have the kids but I have been watching weekend meetings in my area to try and catch one. But for me, lunch hour is going to work the best.
Good for you making a F2F meeting, I hope you got a lot from it. You know Al-Anon teaches us to put ourselves first (and our kids when they are dependant). I try my best to make meetings as they help me so much with my recovery. In my group there are 2 people who when they make a meeting often arrive late due to work commitments. Our meeting is during lunchtime to. Both members explained their work schedules and we all understand. One of them sometimes books a half day leave from time to time so she can have the whole meeting and come for a coffee with us after. I'm sure if you explain you don't get a long enough lunchbreak to make the whole meeting the others will understand, especially if you try to be as discreet entering or leaving as possible.
Oh God they still have hour and a half meetings somewhere? I use to love those the best because there was much more sharing than the hour long ones. Of course it was also because our home group fellowship got so large. The meetings donot lockout Stronger so you make it when you make it and the whole meeting is best of course. Check your local meeting schedule to see if there a meetings with day care too.
Also I use to schedule time off for "therapy treatment" to go to meetings because of course it is therapy in the best sense of the word. I only had to explain once and never mentioned my alcoholic's name. The explanation included treatment for domestic or family trauma. Sooooo true.
I will have to do the day off but I usually use my time off for kid stuff LOL. I'll make it happen and I may show up a little late next time to see if it was truly 1.5 hours or if it was just running a little late. Was nice to go for sure.
