 In the early '80's N.A. was a very small outfit in Portland. There were probably 300 or so people going to meetings regularly. Most nights there was only one meeting somewhere in the Metro area and everyone that was going to a meeting that night was there. They say not to look at differences when you find yourself in a 12-step program. I saw some - I never had a DUI, never committed a crime, didn't use needles, was a bit older than the average recovering addict - but thanks to my flower child background the differences didn't look that important to me. So the first meeting was candlelit, in the school building part of a church in NE Portland, and there were probably 50 or so people there. I listened to them talk about their daily lives and how they accomplished large and small tasks without using chemicals. I also heard pretty much all the practical information that I would need in the coming weeks - get a sponsor, get a Basic Text, read it, start working the steps, get a home group, go to lots of meetings, find a way to give back what you're getting there. At the very end I raised my hand and said the magic words for the first time - "I'm Andrea and I'm an addict" - and I asked if anyone could help me with rides to meetings. Several people came up to me afterward and handed me phone numbers. |