Wed Night AA Riverside Men's Group

Good evening folks,  What's that old saying? Better late than never? I had some excuses prepared but I figure I better save them for when I might need them!! This week, we'll be reading  Empty on the Inside p512-521.  BTW, someone mentioned to me they weren't finding the stories in the book so please take note that we're on the 4th Edition of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. The 3rd edition has a different set of stories (some are the same but some aren't).  Anyways, I just got done reading this story and I liked it quite a bit. You could say this speaker had one of those Spiritual Awakenings of the "Educational variety". Sometimes I think that phrase might be a euphemism for "they were kind of  slow  to get it" lol Mind you, between the time I first came to AA and that moment when I had what you might call a spiritual awakening of my own, 5 years had gone by.... Now who is the slow one!!??      It's good to rememb...

Good evening Folks, This week we will be reading & discussing  Gutter Bravado p501-511.   One of the great joys of my life is hosting this Wednesday night meeting of which I've had the privileged to serve for some time now. So it gives me a great sense of satisfaction whenever I hear someone, especially a new comer, say that there is  something  special about our meeting. To me it means that the same  something-ness  with which I fell in love with is still there.  Last week, Fred brought up an article originally written in the July 1976 issue of "24 Magazine". In the article, the unknown author compares the quality of someone's AA program to Strong/Medium/Week Coffee.  See the article here:  http://www. barefootsworld.net/ aagreshamslaw.html  It's a bit long but well worth the read (kind of like my e-mails!! lol).  Basically it describes how the rapid growth of AA in the early 40's created a situation in which y...

Hello everyone,  This is your weekly reminder of this week's meeting. We will be reading  A Vision of Recovery p494-500   of the book Alcoholic Anonymous. Please find below, after the message, all of the pertinent info about the where & when. A big thanks to last week's speaker Ralph T. who gave us an excellent overview on what it was like, what happened and what it's like now! A few weeks back, I heard a really excellent share by  Scott T. from Coldbrook, NY . This guy went from being tossed in jailed multiple times to being invited to speak at the White House - and he had a (poorly chosen) sponsor from the Quincy Bay Group in Boston named Fred who smoked pot!! - (not THAT Fred!!) Anyways, he said something that really put it's spikes in my mind and made lots of sense to me. What he said is, and i'm paraphrasing here, that being an AA member, even one sober for some years, doesn't make anyone of us into an expert or an authority on the mat...

Hello friends,  This week we will be reading  On the Move p486-493  from the book Alcoholic Anonymous.  I just heard an excellent speaker tape last week by a speaker named Scott T. from Coldbrook, NY. If you know how to look up speaker tapes I highly recommend this speaker. One of the highlights of the share was that he read out a poem I'd like to share with you called The Man in the Glass.   The Man in the Glass When you get what you want in your struggle for self And the world makes you king for a day, Just go to the mirror and look at yourself, And see what that man has to say.  For it isn't your father or mother or wife, Whose judgment upon you must pass; The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one starring back from the glass.  He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest. For he's with you clear up 'til the end, And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend....

Good evening everyone,  This week we will dive into  Building a New Life p476-485.  Speaking of building a new life... Many of us just got back from the convention in Manuel Antonio and it was truly excellent!!  Myself, I met some new friends and strengthened my friendship with old ones. I heard some amazing stories and listened to some great shares that resounded deep in my soul, making me want to look deeper into my self and my work with the program.  I remember being told that staying sober is done one day at a time, this holds true whether you've got 24 hrs or 40+ years - all any of us have is today. But also, that we are embarked on a lifetime journey of spiritual growth that never ends.  Like many other things in the program, I remember feeling like there was a contradiction  hidden   somewhere in between the lines - there isn't.  Of course, if it were up to me we'd have nothing bu...

Good evening folks, First of all I want to thank Alex Go. for sharing last week, and volunteering no less, it was a n excellent share and we thank you for your service! This week we will be going through  Twice Gifted p470-475  in the big book.  Last week, my buddy Clive T. brought Dr.Bob's version of the Third Step Prayer for us to close with, which is copied down below if you're interested. It reminded me of a time when I was fresh out of rehab, still knee deep in denial about how futile fighting this disease is and yet fully aware something was wrong with me. I had been sober maybe 38 days (30 of which were in the rehab) and I decided to take a summer college course that went on a 30-day overseas field trip, what could go wrong? I lasted about 24 hrs before I had my first beer with the group and the remaining 29-days was pure misery. Everyday praying no one would order that first drink, struggling my hardest to control that urge, eventually givin...

Good afternoon guys, This week we'll be reading  Listening to the Wind p458-469.  I just finished reading it and it's a fascinating story.  Without any details, two things immediately popped out at me:  If this woman -who was a self proclaimed "drunken hooker" and wore the same dirty clothes for days on end- was able to find men willing to marry her and throw riches her way at the snap of her fingers.... She must be freakin' smoking hot!! How she continually went through horrors that others would of called rock bottom and kept going, it points out to me how  insensitive we   alcoholics are to those we hurt. I'm sure we could all be accused of this to varying degrees. As a result of these two ideas -I'll let you be the judge of which was truly the highest motivating factor here- I tried investigating the author to find out more about her. I found this page about the  Authors of the AA stories   but to my disappointment th...

Good afternoon gents, I feel like today is Monday for some reason, long weekends throw off my schedule a bit. But like a wise man said, "you are disturbed because you are disturbable".  This week we'll be reviewing  Safe Haven p452-457.  Last week, something intriguing was mentioned during the meeting about a letter Dr. Carl Jung wrote in reply to Bill Wilson. My friend Alex G. was found the letter and wanted me to share it with everyone. I've attached two versions of the same letter, one is in a much easier to read format (bigger letters) and the other is a picture of the original letter from the AA Archives (for the sentimental types among us).   Some of you may not know this bit of AA history or need a refresher like I did. So, a s you read the attached letter, here are a few things to  keep in mind: In 1930, Dr. Carl Jung treated an american businessman by the name of Rowland Hazard. Dr. Freud, who was Rowland's first choice, had  previou...

Good afternoon everyone!  I am getting an early start on the e-mail today so you know what that means... it's a slow Monday!! First, I wanted to thank our speaker from last week Alex G. for his excellent share. Alex gave an awesome share all while getting through jetlag and a traveler's cold -- that's going to any length baby!! This week we'll be diving into  He Lived Only to Drink p446-451 . I can already relate with just the title!! One thing I like about this last group of stories (Part III: They Lost Nearly All) is that even though these guys went about as low as you can go and although it can be hard to relate, not having experienced skid row or the likes myself, their  complete psychic change  ( ie : spiritual awakening) is so excessively clear that it gives me a strong sense of hope for my own life. When you're sleeping under a cardboard box over a hot air vent to keep from freezing one day and are on the AA general services board the n...

Good evening everyone, Just wanted to send out a quick email and let everyone know that there will be a meeting this wednesday even though it is Semana Santa. We will be reading  My Bottle, My Resentments, and Me p437-445.  I would ask one favor because I am heading out for Nicaragua that very night at 11pm if we could all please arrive punctually so we can close a bit early I'd appreciate it (I know, I'm talking to alcoholics, it's a lost cause.... lol)    Let me know if you can make it please! Best Regards, David t

Good evening everyone, This week we'll be reading  Window of Opportunity p421-436 . This fellow's story is one of those self-admittedly short drinking careers gone awry. Most took far longer, with far more consequences, to realize they had a problem. However, when he talks about his behavior while under the influence, there is no denying his qualifications as an alcoholic. It's a very interesting story and it reminded me of how important it is to  identify  rather than to  compare. When remembering the times where I actively made the effort to  compare  my story and find how I was different, what I was actually doing was trying to shield myself from anything that could challenge my carefully constructed wall of denial. It was a hateful thing inside me causing this conscious separation of self from others  - The Ego.  When I was finally ready to  identify ,  I had given up struggling with the question, I admitted I had a problem and b...

Hello everyone, This week we'll be reading  Acceptance was the Answer p407-420 . This is a story about a doctor's drug & alcohol abuse and he's got some friggin' fantastic one liners in there. Now I don't want to ruin the story for you but just one quick example, he says he  "found it hard to practice good medicine while shooting morphine"  - I would have never of guessed!! lol He also says " I never in my life took a tranquilizer, sedative, or pep pill because I was a pill-head. I always took it because I had the symptom that only that pill would relieve."   It's like Clancy I. said, what we have is a disease of perception. I tend to believe anything that is born of my own mind - see I thought it so it  must  be true! But if I can accept that my disease centers in the mind and not the body, that my perception can be skewed by things like fear, denial and my own self-esteem, then maybe the person I think I am is not the person others...

Hi everyone, My apologies on sending this out late this week, I've been battling a little bit of a cold lately. Anywho, I'd like to thank Dave W. for sharing his excellent story with us last week, nothing helps recovery along like a heavy dose of humor & depravity and Jesus Dave delivered in spades!! Also I'd like to remind everyone of the upcoming AA convention in Manuel Antonio that's taking place from May 6-8th. We're still working on the details of organizing our group to get out there but let me know if your interested and go online to  register now  -  It's FREE!!  (to register anyways, you pay later!!) This week we'll be reading  A Drunk, like You p398-406 . This was the first time for me reading it and I got a lot out of it. Aside from the fact that I always love listening to another  Member of the Tribe  breaking barriers by showing that alcoholism is no respecter of race, religion or creed, proving you  jew *i mean too*  ...

Good evening everyone, Before I get to the weekly reminder, I wanted to inform everyone, if you didn't know already, that this years  Manual Antonio AA International Convention  is coming up. The convention will be May 6, 7 & 8th (Fri thru Sunday). I think it would be awesome if we could get a group of the wednesday night men's group to go. I even got a hall pass from my significant other already!! You can check out the convention and  register online here  . There are no upfront fees, you pay when you show up. You do need to reserve a hotel room ahead of time and I'd like to get a head count so maybe we can split some rooms between us. Go ahead and take a look at the website and we can discuss everything at the end of the meeting this week. This wednesday night we will be going over  The Perpetual Quest p388-397.  I thought this was a very interesting story, brought me back to a time early in recovery when things seemed more complicated and yet simpl...

Hello everyone, Hope everyone enjoyed the Super Bowl as much as I did, sorry Carolina Fans!! Watching Peyton Manning take the field (probably for the last time, if he's smart) was awesome! True his performance wasn't the most stunning but you look at the way his leadership skills helped the team stay focused and avoid all the Super Bowl media-hype bullshit (which the panthers clearly couldn't) and it's clear why he was at the super bowl for the 4th time of his career. Anyways, what's really nice is waking up the Monday after and being able to get to work on time and remember the whole game!! This week we're reading  Me an Alcoholic? p382-387  out of the big book. I like this story a lot because I was one who had a head FULL of prejudice and old-ideas when I came in. I thought to myself "I've got 2 college degrees, I can't be an alcoholic!!" but the old-timers would lovingly point out that "Thermometers have degrees, know where they st...

Good evening friends, For those of you who missed last week's speaker meeting, we heard an excellent story from Todd P. This week we'll be reading the story  Winner Takes All p375-381.  If you remember, I praised the last reading for being short and to the point. Well, someone must of heard me cause this week's reading feels looong! It's written by a woman... I wonder if that has anything to do with it!? jaja (I can say these jokes here) Now, I'm just being facetious but if you think about it, I gotta admit, our little group is kinda funny. If you were to put aside the AA theme for a moment, we're  basically  a book club for men! Bet you never thought you were signing up for that when they told you "one day at a time"... But that's how it goes in sobriety, God puts these paths in our way that may take us miles away from where we thought we'd be and, though there may be some anxiety at traveling paths unknown, the journey is truly magnifice...

Good evening fellas, This week's reading is  Flooded with Feeling p369-374.  This a great short story (or maybe it's great because its short?). I've always felt there's no point in using many words when few will do and I think this story makes the case. It's true that this guy's drinking career didn't sound like there was all that much to tell to begin with but he's precise with his descriptions and I identified with several of his points. One of those points was this vague undefinable feeling of  not belonging . The idea of facing those moments alone kept me in sauce for awhile longer. Neither was coming to AA an immediate remedy for me. It took some time but eventually I walked into a meeting and I knew everybody's name and they all knew mine. I'd heard enough of everybody's story to know that they felt like I did and it finally dawned on me I was not alone and right there in that room  I belonged !! I went online earlier today to chec...

Hi folks, Here is your reminder for this week's Wednesday night meeting. We will be reading  Tightrope p359-368.  I found it curious that in the opening paragraph the speaker says  "As long as a person held down a job, didn't embarrass his family or friends too frequently, and kept out of trouble, he was entitled to get drunk on a regular basis" (p359-AA).  Surely many of us held this belief once too at some point or another, I think it was my life's opening paragraph too. I've met many people who are asleep or unconscious to their drinking problem, hiding behind their job, relationship, status, title, education, bank account or what have you in order to justify their behavior. Some people might call that denial (they wouldn't be wrong), but I remember making these "I can't be an alcoholic because..." statements myself and I don't recall trying to "hide" my behavior so much as I  really   didn't believe  there was...

Good afternoon everyone, First off, I'd like to share some great news we received today;  Ann Bender was found Not Guilty and all charges were dropped!!  There was a mention of it in today's mid-day news on local TV you may have seen. I'm so happy for Ann and her family, as I'm sure we all are. I can just see Greg's blue-eyed giant smile mounted on that freakishly herculean neck of his looking down in relief!! This week we'll be reading  The Viscous Cycle p219-231 , an excellent story and a much easier read than the last one in case you were wondering. This one gives a really marvelous picture of what AA was like early on. I often hear so much said about the early days of AA, about how hard-charging, unfiltered and un-watered-down they were... I wonder If we as a fellowship were better off then or now? I don't generally like hypotheticals ( coulda, woulda, shoulda  does nothing for me today), but the fundamental question is an interesting one. Which...

Hello folks, This week we'll be reading  Our Southern Friend p208-218 . The writing is kinda odd, this fella writes the way I'd imagine a deep southerner would talk. But it's really an excellent story and that's what matters. At the beginning he makes mention about singing "Sweet Adeline" and I've heard many, many references to this song through out our literature. Not being a southern gentlemen myself (at least not the southern part), I was curious about what the big deal with this song is. First published in 1903 by Richard H. Gerard, the song is considered a barbershop quartet classic. There is an excellent version of it you can listen to  here  sung by The Mills Brothers recorded in.... 1939 (is that odd or is that god??). The lyrics are as follows: In the evening when I sit alone a-dreaming Of days gone by, love, to me so dear, There's a picture that in fancy oft' appearing, Brings back the time, love, when you were near. It is then...