It's somewhat unbelievable to me now. At 16, I knew I was an alcoholic and out of control (of course I understand now that this is stating the obvious). I didn't know much about alcoholism or Alcoholics Anonymous. I really don't know how I thought to call them. But I did. I know I assumed AA would attempt to teach me how to drink moderately.

So I looked it up in the phone book, and I called.  This was 1979.  There were no computers, no internet, no caller ID.  I do remember taking a book out of the school library that dealt with alcoholism.  That was how we gathered information back in the day.  Quaint, and slow.

My phone number at the time seemed to people like a commercial number.  It was one number off from a local golf course, which was a pain on Sunday mornings when people called to make a tee time.  It was something like 676-1000.  Anyway when I called the AA hot line and spoke to the woman answering the phone, she said she would get someone in touch with me and would call back.  When I gave her my phone number, I remember that she didn't believe me.

I've lost the details of what happened between that call and my first meeting.  I know it was a few days away from the call.  I know I had a babysitting job, and Isabel covered that for me so I could go to the meeting.  Among the things I didn't know at that time was the fact that there are AA meetings all over the place all the time.  I often wonder, when someone talks about being directed to a meeting by the answering service, why they are sent to meetings that are days away rather than as soon as possible.

My first meeting took place in the church pictured above.  It was in April of 1979, about a month before my 17th birthday.  I walked into that church drunk.  I couldn't handle an AA meeting sober!  There was a greeter there, George.  He was an old guy, and he had the greeting job for years until he died.  I remember being at an anniversary celebration for that group after George died, and his wife attended in honor of him.  She was tall, German, all dressed in black.

That church had several meetings going on at once.  There was a beginners AA and several alanon or alateen meetings.  I went to the beginners in the church library.  After the meeting got going, the smoke was so thick you couldn't see the other side of the room.  Washing ashtrays was a newcomer job, and it wasn't a small job at all.

I'm pretty sure I didn't say much at that meeting.  Some of the friendliest people turned out to be some of the flakiest.  But basically, everyone was very nice, and when I told them of my drinking problem, they told me they understood.  And I believed them, I believed that they did understand.  I never lost that belief.  I hold this as one of the keys to my long time sobriety.

I was surprised to see old people there.  I thought that all alcoholics were like my father, and I didn't understand how they could live that long and be alcoholic.  I was surprised that AA practiced abstinence.  I was probably disappointed.

I talked to people, got phone numbers, got a sponsor.  Not at that first meeting, but at one of the first.  I drank a few times after getting a few days strung together.  One "slip" I recall happened after I took cough medicine.  It's a trigger!  It made me drink!!  I began counting days on a calender.

So I got a shaky start on my lifetime of AA.  By the time it was my 17th birthday, I had begun what would be 18 months of continuous sobriety.

So, here we go. There is certainly a TON of stuff on the Web that is about recovery. I thought I might sift through that and share my experiences.

Instead of going right to all the information that is on the Web, let's start with something interactive. Over the last few days, I have been participating in an online AA meeting. Pretty good concept. With all the tools available out there, it should be a slam-dunk to get something like this running. The people who administer the AA Online Net chat site have done about a good a job as any. (I like this Blog format, but it sure does a lousy job of highlighting links...)

Once you give yourself a screen name and log in, the chat client fires up. The right side has a listing of the rooms, though the first one is the main meeting. Clicking on that takes you into the meeting chat itself. Very nice Java client. Easy and fairly intuitive to use. There are usually some regulars hanging out even if there is no meeting in progress. Just like at a live meeting, there is general conversation going on. I found the group generally welcoming and helpful. Sometimes, if the topic hasn't been already decided, there is some discussion about what the topic should be and a sort of straw vote.

The meetings are run in an approximate way to a regular AA meeting. There is an announcement that the meeting will begin and that the "Meeting Protocol" is in effect. This prevents crosstalk and other annoyances. The Chair opens the meeting with some general announcements and then the Serenity Prayer. The person selected to give the lead begins. Once the lead is over, a person can request to share by typing a "!".

It really felt like a meeting. People generally adhered to the protocol. The sharing was excellent.

There also exists the ability to either "whisper" to someone (your post is only displayed to the person you select) or you can go into a private chat.

There seems to be anywhere from 30 to 60 people logged into a given meeting. Usually time permits about 6 to 8 to share.

Here is a meeting for when you can't get to a meeting. Give it a try at AAOnline.net.

So maybe there are other like-minded gentlemen and ladies who would like to meet for breakfast somewhere in J'burg on 31 May 2008. I will buy the first round of coffee.

Purpose

To chat about affiliate marketing etc. and eat something. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Maybe I will do a presentation about this site I bought from a guy called Dennis in Russia, apparently with turn-over, that didn't sell a thing since the day it was transferred to me. Maybe I can call the presentation "From Russia - with Love"

Venue

Haven't decided on a venue yet. Open for suggestions. Would probably depend on where most of the people will come from.

Discuss

Follow the discussions and final arrangements on Twitter - http://twitter.com/aa_sa. Who knows, this might become a regular thing.

T-Shirt

No there is no official T-Shirt yet. Sorry!

Let me Know

Will you be there?

So maybe there are other like-minded gentlemen and ladies who would like to meet for breakfast somewhere in J'burg on 31 May 2008. I will buy the first round of coffee.

Purpose

To chat about affiliate marketing etc. and eat something. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Maybe I will do a presentation about this site I bought from a guy called Dennis in Russia, apparently with turn-over, that didn't sell a thing since the day it was transferred to me. Maybe I can call the presentation "From Russia - with Love"

Venue

Haven't decided on a venue yet. Open for suggestions. Would probably depend on where most of the people will come from.

Discuss

Follow the discussions and final arrangements on Twitter - http://twitter.com/aa_sa. Who knows, this might become a regular thing.

T-Shirt

No there is no official T-Shirt yet. Sorry!

Let me Know

Will you be there?

W zasadzie najdziwniejsze w tym rysunku jest to, że wyszedł mi on przez przypadek, a jednak porusza temat istotny. Powstał raczej w wyniku błędu niż z zamiaru. Widzę jednak analogię do tematu ilustracji — parzcież nikt nie ma zamiaru (świadomie) zostać alkoholikiem.

It's New Year's Eve!  This new years I have made no resolutions only a decision. Kind of like Step #3 where it says, "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." Just as this step says made a decision, I have made a decision, to stay involved, to help the new man, and to chair a meeting on New Years Eve...Biggest party night of the year!  

The decision I have made for the new year is nothing, however, the decision I have made today is to stay clean and sober. My commitment is only one day at a time and I renew my vows every morning when I hit my knees and read 86, 87, 88, of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous and then I read a meditation. This is what I do every morning. My sponsor told me that God dosn't answer prayer, but God answers action. So that is what I must do today is take action. By the way I still call my sponsor every day.

I take action in my life as well as my sobriety.  www.aa.org