FELLOW TRAVELER

ALANO CLUB..........

I love the Alano Club. It saved my life in eary sobriety. I hung out there alot, cuz I had alot of time on my hands & needed a place to go where there were recovering alcoholics. For a couple of years, I didn't go to any other meetings, I didn't feel safe, & I did at the Club. I got a sponsor & started working my steps, & went to outside meetings with her, & got to know other alcoholics outside of the Club. I had to go thru some trememdous fears in order to go to other meetings, fear of people was big. I just kept going tho, cuz I was outgrowing the Club. I needed to hear more of the solutions, & steps other than 1,2, & 3. I still go to the noon meetings at the Club, there is a good mixture of newcomers, in between, & old timers there, not so much at the evening meetings. I go there to give back. I go there to see old friends too. I found that after a couple of years, actually, more like 3 or 4, I became stuck, & quit growing. I needed to meet new people, & hear something different, & to overcome my fears of going outside of the Club. It became my cave, where I could hide out. Somebody outside might challenge me, & that they did, that is when I started growing, & changing. Not that I didn't at the Club, but I got to a point where I quit growing, it wasn't a challenge for me. I accept the people who are still there, but they are missing out on so much. If they would just get past their fears, or ego, & pride. That's what I discovered. My fears, ego & pride kept me there longer than I needed to be. It's a great place for newcomers, & for oldtimers to give back, & help them venture out. I love it on the outside, but I will always go back to see my old friends, & to give to the newcomer.

posted by sharonsjourney @ 11:05 AM