Transcription
Volume 65Issue 2December 201875 PublishingSinceNovember1954HONESTY PURITY UNSELFISHNESS LOVEServing Holmes, Medina, Portage, Summit, Wayne CountiesAA’s Version of The Night Before ChristmasInside This Issuethe IGNews Committee.2Poem: A Cracked Carol3Article: The FamilyAfterward4Article: Oh I’m New, Whatto Do!5Article: Family, FunFriends6Article: Time Takes OnNew Meaning7Article: Daddy, What isDrunk?8Article: Always Build Up,Never Tear Down9Article: Tradition 1210Article: Concept XII11From the Archives12From the IntergroupBookstore13Council MeetingHighlights14Group Donations15Fellowship After the First164 Pages16Announcements17Where to SendContributions18Calendar19Next TopicsSubscription Form20Graphic is a reprint of a drawing from December 1966 Akron
How to ReachAkron IGNewsFrom the IGNews Committee.Akron InterGroup News775 N Main StAkron, OH 44310Happy Holidays to everyone,330-253-8181Fax: 330-253-8292Toll Free in NE Ohio:800-897-6737Website: www.akronaa.orgEmail: ignews@akronaa.orgEditorial PolicyIt is our pleasure to publish another issue of the Akron Intergroup News. Thismonth we are focused on the end of the year and wishing everyone a nice holidayseason. We know that this time of year can be stressful for many people. Please,let’s look out for our newcomers. Remember that first holiday when you came intothe program? Not always the best. It can be a very lonely time.We have some articles focusing on family and friends. Also, a couple of poems.Tim P, is one of our committee members and he wrote a poem, The CrackedCarol. This was fun. Our front page is a reprint from the December, 2015 issue ofthe IG News. We liked it and hope you do too.Akron IGNews is a monthlynewsletter of the Akron AreaIntergroup Council ofAlcoholics Anonymous with theOffice located at:Akron Intergroup Office775 N Main StAkron, OH 44310It is about, by and for themembers of the Fellowship ofAA. Opinions expressed hereinare NOT to be attributed to AAas a whole, nor does publicationof information imply anyendorsement by either AA orthe Akron Intergroup Council.Quotations and artwork fromAA literature are reprinted withpermission from AA WorldService, Inc. and/or The AAGrapevine, Inc.Contributions fromour readers areencouraged!Submissions are edited for spaceand clarity ONLY. Contactinformation is required andanonymity is respected.In keeping with our goal ofbeing self-supporting, yoursubscription is appreciated.Jasmine wrote about being new during the holidays, and Judy shared how things arefor her now. She wants you to have fun, help others and don’t sweat the small stuff.Moe A, a returning writer, is sharing about lifting others up. Rick T’s article comesfrom the East Valley Intergroup in Meza, Arizona. We included an article reprintedfrom the Grapevine since it was about family.Please be sure to check the announcements page and always check the AkronIntergroup website for updates.As always, we encourage all of our readers to send in their own articles as we liketo keep you informed, but another reason for our newsletter is share ourexperience, strength and hope with others.In love and service,Holiday Meeting Schedule ChangesThese are the changes that we know about as of the printing of the Newsletter.Please check the weekly lead sheets and the website for updates.Closings for 12-24-2018 Christmas Eve:West Side Big Book Study on Monday nights at Faith Lutheran in Fairlawn?I Am Responsible Big Book StudyClosings for 12-25-2018 Christmas DayIntergroup OfficeTuesday’s at the BorderY.A.N.A.Closings for 12-31-2018I Am Responsible Big Book StudyClosing for 1-1-2019Intergroup Office Akron InterGroup News. We grant any AA publication permission to reprint articlesfrom the Akron InterGroup News with the following attribution: Akron InterGroup News; Month, YearAkron InterGroup News-2-December 2018
A Cracked CarolBy Tim P, Progress Not PerfectionIt came upon a midnight clear,A text from Jay at a bar near here-"We know you don't drink,But we all think,You can have non-alcoholic cheer!"Joy to the World! I wasn't alone,A text on my phone.I could let them dallyAt O'Malley's in the Alley,Have a couple Cokes and go home.Sleigh bells ring, I drove to the bar,Which wasn't far,And saw the happy folks inside.Paused, then got back in my ride.I felt at peace in the car.Silent Night forget the party.No laughs with Jay or Cousin Marty.I drove away but felt OK,Staying sober another day.Let others be hale and hearty.Do you see what I see?That place where an AA group could be.The smell of coffee at a late-night meeting,Smokers outside, a sarcastic greeting.Yep, this is the holiday for me.I saw three ships come sailing in,When I was drunk and had blurred vision.Now there's only one ship I see,Her name -- Serenity.See you on board, she sails again.It's the most wonderful time of the year,Forget the tequila and beer.Find someone who's sadder than you,Sing them a cracked carol or two,And enjoy some true Christmas cheer.Akron InterGroup News-3-December 2018
The Family AfterwardRick T, Queen Creek, ArizonaThere are three chapters at the end of the AA Big Bookthat aren't talked about a whole lot in meetings. “ToWives” is the chapter dedicated to the spouse of thealcoholic. “To Employers” is dedicated to the employerof an alcoholic. “The Family Afterward” deals with thepeople that are closest to the alcoholic, not onlywitnessing the destructiveness of the disease but alsofeeling the impact on a regular basis.Suppose we tell you some of the obstacles a familywill meet; suppose we suggest how they may beavoided - even converted to good use for others.And that is exactly what we get. The remaining twelvepages of the chapter are entirely dedicated to what may(and probably will) happened with the family as thealcoholic recovers. The Big Book authors really haven'tmissed a thing. When it comes to answering life'sproblems, all the bases are covered in the first 164All these chapters are there and meant to be read by pages. I've yet to find something I cannot solve in thethese individuals. But they are also meant for me to read contents of this book. In my opinion, something thatso that I can gain a better understanding of how the flawless must come from something beyond humanpeople around me might behave as I recover.intellect.I love these three chapters because, although they donot address step work specifically, they offerexpectations and suggestions on how everyone thatfeels the ripple effect of alcoholism can respond in ahealthier way. This was a tremendous gift that wasoffered by the authors of this book. Recovery is hardenough, so visibility to the whole landscape, someperspective on how to behave, some understanding tohow other people might behave, this is critical tohelping me reintegrate with the world .My family is and continues to be restored as I continuewith the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. When Ifirst tried to get sober, I specifically recalled trying toget sober for them. I did not stop drinking. It wasn’tuntil I finally got sober when I realize that my sobrietyhas nothing to do with my family.Heaven forbid my family is taken suddenly, I am stillhere with my sobriety. My sobriety is mine and minealone, it is my responsibility. I own my work to connectwith a Higher Power. My family is a result of the work IThe Big Book authors offer three main expectations in do in this program. When I do well I tend to be presentthe third paragraph on page 122:for my family in the right way, of service, living out myCessation from drinking is but the first step awayamends daily. When things aren't going well, they arefrom a highly strained, abnormal condition.typically the first ones to notice.Right out of the gate the authors explain that stoppingThe last sentence of the first paragraph on page 135drinking will not fix everything.sums it up:A Doctor said to us, “Years of living with analcoholic is almost sure to make any wife or childSeeing is believing for most families who have livedneurotic. The entire family is, to some extent, ill.”with a drinker.So secondly, it is explained that, not only is the alcoholic If I don't get this confused with trying to prove myselfsick that family is sick too.to them, then I will be okay. If I just do the step work, ILet families realize, as they start their journey, thatam aligned with my HP and my family notices the wayall will not be fair weather.they were meant to notice.Lastly, we are giving the assurance that this is not goingFirst Things Firstto be easy.As the chapter continues, we are given the gift of hopeat the top of page 123:Akron InterGroup News-4-Live and Let LiveEasy Does It Reprinted with permission from No Booze News, October2018, page 12. East Valley Intergroup, Meza AZ.December 2018
Oh I'm New, What to Do!Jasmine W, The James Group.Getting sober around the holidays was hard for me. I’m from Virginia and I had no family here in Ohio.I did not know anyone either and I was lacking most if not all social skills.I really did feel all alone, and I was scared to the point I had decided not to celebrate any holiday. I feltas though if I didn’t celebrate them then I would not be tempted to drink.One of my biggest problems though was I did not talk about how I was feeling in meetings. I did notwant people to know that I felt alone, scared, and vulnerable. Truthfully, I feared people and how Ithought they viewed me. Well, I was completely wrong. I met a person in the program who wasextremely sweet and even though I did not speak up, I watched her lend her hand out to others who hadthe courage to speak about their feelings.I would also listen when people would say, make sure you have an exit plan, and phone numbers to callin case anything happens. Always know where the closest meeting is if you need to get out and gosomewhere. All these things were very vital to me as a newcomer. I pushed myself out of my comfortzone, because I knew if I didn’t that I would probably drink.I did speak out to that person and ended up having a wonderful holiday with her and her family. I thinkthat fear alone keeps me trapped in my own mind. My advice is to speak on how your feeling. Thesepeople in the Program are more than willing to help and they don’t judge. They want to give back whatwas so freely given to them.I hope everyone has a beautiful holiday, safe, sober, and fun.Merry Christmas and Happy New YearFaithFriendsAkron InterGroup News-5-FunFamilyDecember 2018
Family, Fun, Friends, and Faith How doyou combine these in SobrietyJudy K, Hudson Tuesday ClockwatchersWhen I look at this month’s topic, I realize that at thistime in my sobriety my life is an all-in-one kind ofexistence. There was a time in my life when I haddifferent personas depending on where I was andwhom I was with. That is no longer the case.As I prepare for this holiday season, I am so happy thatI can enjoy my friends and family without having tostress over how to act or what will happen. I also don’thave to dread the loneliness that I used to feel with theholidays. I can have fun going to shows and familygatherings. I will stay grounded and keep things inperspective by continuing to be of service to otherswhenever I can.I am sure that one of the reasons for this happiness isthat I have learned to let go of the past and not dwellon how things used to be. Even in sobriety, I still hadbad feelings about the holidays because I held on tounpleasant feelings of events from the past. I have letall of that go, and I have forgiven myself for times overthe holidays when I was not so nice to be around.One of my favorite sayings is, “I don’t do thatanymore.” After completing my fifth step and workingon the remaining Steps, I have moved forward with anew outlook on life. I no longer have to sit back andwait for the world to come and make me happy. I canfind my own happiness in the simple things of life.I know that I will be attending and be welcome atfamily gatherings, special shows, and parties. I alsoknow that I will make time for other people and reachout to see where I can be of assistance to others.In addition, one thing is for sure, I don’t have to bake.That’s funny. Every year I tell myself that I must bakebecause that is what people do. I do not get pleasureout of baking and this year, I pledge to not purchase allof the baking supplies, just to stress myself out and notdo it. I will contribute to the economy in mycommunity and purchase baked goods. This mightsound a little ridiculous, but it is these little things thatmake so many people stress about the holidays. Justdon’t do it.Life is much easier now that I have learned that I don’thave to do everything that I thought was expected ofme. There was a time when I thought that I had to buya bunch of presents and show up to places where I didnot want to be, just because it was the holidays. I knownow that if I do not have a good reason to besomewhere, I don’t have to g o. It’s about thefellowship, not the material stuff.We all need to chillout and rememberthat it is aboutfamily, friends, andhaving a good time.H e lp o th er s a n dkeep your side ofthe street clean andyou will probablyI have time to do things that I always wanted to do. I have a nice season.like decorating my home and seeing all of the lights.When I was drinking, all I did was plan on doing that Happy New Year!stuff. It usually did not happen because I was too drunkto accomplish anything, or I was out at parties gettingdrunk.Akron InterGroup News-6-December 2018
Time Takes On New MeaningJoyce B, Afternoon AlkiesThe older I get the more time takes on new meaning.Having more freedom as a result of thesecommitments, I get to spend time alone, spend timeWith it I like to incorporate increments of many things. with friends, spend time with family in the proportionsKeeping in mind our primary purpose, I make it my which I need to feel connected.number one priority to show up for my home groupevery week one and a half hours earlier than it starts, so This is the basic human need which alcohol and myI can carry this AA message which has been freely alcoholism threatens to steal from me every day. Icarried to me. Most weeks I remain there till the last believe God created me to be connected to Himself, toperson leaves. This is the way it was taught to me in the His world, and to His people. His ways are what, howbeginning how to attend meetings. It seems to produce and where I will find the most fulfilled life.a bigger reward or benefit from each one. When Ishake hands and chat with others beforehand and reach Separation has always been the cause of all myout to the newcomer afterward a fellowship grows up difficulties, the core of my unhappiness which myabout me. Loneliness vanishes, and I gain a slew of alcoholism demanded.friends I can call on in times of need or of happiness.Alcohol, it has been said, is a great remover. It removesBecause I have made the AA way of life, mentioned jobs, friends, family, cars, homes . the list could go onabove, my priority, I now have freedom to do infinitely. Ultimately, alcohol separated me fromeverything which I once held dear. Now the AA way ofeverything else I love to do.life, (sponsorship, home group, Steps, and the ABC's),I get to go to church and learn what the bigger big can and will restore to my heart all that I hold dear.book reveals how I can live and successfully please Godand how to be in His favor. I get to see how my heart One last thought: “if separation is the cause of all mytoward God will affect whether things will go well for difficulties," then I will entertain the possibility that"connection will solve all of my difficulties."me or not.Do you know the history ofyour home group?The Akron Area Intergroup Archives Committee is committed topreserving the stories of local AA meetings. Drop by the IG Office toget a meeting history form and work with other members of yourhome group to help immortalize your meeting!Akron InterGroup News-7-December 2018
Daddy, What Is Drunk?One afternoon, when my daughter was about ten yearsold, we snuggled up on the couch to watch a movie.Seeing a character in it who was obviously drunk, sheturned to me and asked, "Daddy, what is drunk?"The directness and innocence of her question caughtme off-guard. I knew there was a deeper meaning in thequestion. I looked around to see if anyone else hadheard it. There was no one else there, just she and I andthe serenity of a Saturday afternoon.I mustered a quick response, "It's when someone drinkstoo much and becomes intoxicated." She seemedsatisfied with that, but I had to catch my breath. Tearsstarted to well up as I reflected on the enormoussignificance her simple question held for my life. Mydaughter was asking me, an alcoholic, what "drunk"was! Think of it!he often remarked that it was the best thing that everhappened to him.It was also the best thing that happened to our family.By the time he died, the relationships with his fivechildren were largely healed. And although my motherdied of cancer when he was only a year and a halfsober, she did see him recover and he was able to careWaves of gratitude washed over me. This was the for her at home until she died. Instead of a hopelesspayoff. Right here, on an ordinary Saturday afternoon, drunk, he was a pillar of strength. The last image shewhile I was sitting in front of the TV, God gave me the had of him was as a sober, strong, and caring man.eyes to see the true value of my sobriety.My daughter's simple question reminded me that sheAt the time, I had sixteen years sober. Today, I have and my other two children have never seen me drink,twenty, but I still have to choke back the tears as I write they have never seen me drunk, and they have neverthis. There is nothing in my life that is more important lived in a home with active alcoholism. It also remindedthan being a father. There is nothing that I take more me of the countless stories I've heard in AA meetingsseriously. I grew up with an alcoholic father. I know about either being raised in an alcoholic home or beingwhat it is like to have a thousand family dinners ruined the alcoholic in the center of one.by anger and rage; to have my brothers beaten up whileOn the occasion of my twenty years of sobriety, I amI stood by helpless; to be kicked across the floor; to beoverwhelmed with gratitude that my daughter has to askchased out of the house; to be scared, confused andher father, an alcoholic, "Daddy, what is drunk?"ashamed.-- Rob W.I also had the privilege of watching my father get sober.He was 64 years old and stayed sober until he died at Baltimore, Marylandage 80. In those 16 years, I got a chance to get to knowwhat a wonderful person my father actually was. Ilearned that alcoholism was an illness, and that therewas hope for recovery. I also observed that he was asmuch a victim of this disease as I was. When he finallyCopyright The AA Grapevine, Inc. December, 2000got into recovery after an intervention and treatment,Reprinted with permissionAkron InterGroup News-8-December 2018
Always build up, never tear downMoe A, Wednesday Mixed DiscussionI know for myself, when I first got sober all myfeelings were like a roller coaster. A lot of things thatI did when I was active in my alcoholism, I wasn'tproud of, and the last thing that I needed wassomeone being ignorant towards me or deliveringfoul treatment. Throughout my journey insobrietyI've dealt with the backstabbing, along with otheractions from the people that didn't care about howtheir actions would affect me. I am truly grateful thatit happened to me when I had the Steps embeddedin me and got stronger mentally and spirituallybecause if I was new, I would have left. I've gonethrough some things even at three to four yearssober that I just wanted to call it quits and leave.I've always been a motivator. A lot tend to trybuilding themselves up by tearing others down.That's not right and that really doesn't work. Aperson truly rises by lifting other people
East Valley Intergroup, Meza AZ. Akron InterGroup News - 5 - December 2018 Family Faith Friends Fun Getting sober around the holidays was hard for me. I’m from Virginia and I had no family here in Ohio. I did not know anyon
