Oh I shouldn't call this place a hick-town. It was an old gold-mining town, and a sheep town. I reckon a lot of people came here to run and hide. Before the main street was flooded there were three pubs in it. They were called 'the bottom', 'the middle' and 'the top'. There were two pubs in the outlying settlements.

We lived in one of these settlements centred round the pub, church and hall and ranged around the river, which is now a lake. When I was 15 the boys must have bin playing up a bit. It wasn't me. I was a scrawny kid with no whiskers. The playing up bit, in the family jalopy started when I was 16 or 17.

Anyway this joker came to school- and had a talk- boys only. He was from AA. he was one of the very early members. It really knocked my socks off. To hear a man speak from the heart. Some times when I share this it brings tears to my eyes when I share this.

I became a gang member of sorts. when I hit the big city I ended up around people who were older sreet kids. Anyway I ended up on a railway gang, standing out at dawn with crow bars, pulling the track into a straight line.

At age 26 I came back to my home town, ended up on the sheep shearing gangs. hard living and hard drinking people, most of em. Anyway i ened up going to Alanon when it started up here. Construction gangs came in here to build a large dam. They had AA members, and a few Alanons.

I always remember my first meeting... I had long hair, well down my back and I wore gumboots with the tops turned down. My self-esteem- where is was was in those gumboots. That is what I remember most about that first meeting.

Our group folded when the crews and their families left town. 18 months ago a couple of us long-timers revived the group. At the moment I am doing ACA by long distance, and still remaining loyal to my roots- AFG.

The extra help is a big boost. Recently i was in the city helping madame through the medical system with a wrecked knee. My old sponsor worked there and i looked out for her to say hi. One day i saw her hubby there waiting to pick her up after work.

H. is one of those persons who likes to swing the legs and have a chat. A native south islander. he had started up a AA steps group and made it an open meeting. He went trhrough his 12x12 and I went through the green Alanon 12x12.

As we went on with our korero I realised that he had actually done a fair share of the sponsoring. Mum always said that the horses were always scared of men. Well I guess that applied to the kids as well. I had learned to fear and disrespect the authority that came out of a bottle. But I realised that H. had gotten under the radar, had got under my defence systems and reached the real me. That first encounter with AA at age 15 had sown a seed.

Now ah is a GR, and have an assembly coming up. It is being held at our most southern marae. it is a place we can sleep over- and the kitchen is always up for providing good food. I have strong family links to that community. Really looking forward to getting there.

Our group has grown from 2 to five, and now we have 8 or 9. I think there is safety in numbers... and when a group reaches 'critical mass' then it is much easier to join. With that comes a certain amount of responsibility- to show leadership, and to provide some training. This is a healthy thing- much unlike the sort of carry-one I learned inside of my family of origin.

I have bin able to take the good stuff out of my family experience, and add the family experience I have gained from Alanon. 

thanks for the share  

arohanui,

DavidG.