You’ve heard people say this around the rooms often enough.
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“My head’s crazy, today, I need a meeting.”
“I need to go to lots and lots of meetings.”
“Go to 90 meetings in 90 days.”
Why do we constantly say go to meetings? Is the key to sobriety something you can get by going to meetings? Can you get sober by osmosis? Or maybe the coffee has magic sobriety dust in it?
The real reason we go to meetings is to pass on our experience, strength, and hope. We are told in AA to reach out to the still suffering alcoholic, and that could be the old timer with 25 years who’s having a rough time. The still suffering alcoholic is me sometimes.
The main reason we go to meetings, is for the newcomer. When that newcomer comes in, scared, lonely, with shame written all over their face, we’re there to show them they’re welcome in our Fellowship. We tell them they don’t have to be alone and frightened anymore. We tell them they don’t have to drink anymore. When the newcomer comes into our rooms, we need to give them some hope, and that hope comes in the message of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous.
We owe it to every sufferer of alcoholism who comes through our doors to carry a strong message of recovery to them. When we sit there and chant slogans at them, we’re doing them a grave disservice. We share a common problem but also a common solution. Our meetings should not be a place where we carry the problem. We need to share our common solution to all present, and to those who are yet to reach our doors.
Four O'Clock Sunday Afternoon 