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deal constructively with conflict? just a quick clarification, when i say **my group**, what i mean is all about membership not ownership. that is not the way bit always has been for me, but that is certainly the way it is now.
thousands of days ago, although sometimes that feels like thousands of years ago, i came to the fellowship that was to be my home. in those days, a single meeting was surviving in my home town and it was far from anything resembling the sort of meetings we have today. those who could have been members, and had clean-time, were hiding out in another fellowship, and well-versed in carrying that message, so the blending of the two fellowships was bound to happen, especially since no one knew any better. that blending was not allowed in the other fellowship, as there were members that had significant periods of sobriety, and knew the traditions and what they meant, so of course, over here, that was not only allowed, but at the time, actually encouraged.
after my flirtation with recovery in the wrong fellowship and after some members that were older and wiser came up to our little “and a” meeting all of that abruptly changed. over the course of the next few years, our local fellowship became educated in the traditions, saw the damage a blended message did, and a few of us, set off on a mission to build our local fellowship. in that we had great success, and in that success, i felt that i “owned” the meetings and when changes were suggested, i was more than a bit resistant, “after all,” i would tell myself, “don't they know who the fVck i am?“
it took several years of staying away from that meeting for things to change inside of me. i had to walk away, in order to let go, and today, i know i am just a member and not some sort of owner. today, i do what i can do, make my suggestions and allow the conscience of the group to form in its own manner, and most importantly, i support whatever the result happens to be. today oi strive to be a part of, and not part of the problem, and you know what, i am getting better at it, every day.
anyhow, time to head on out, get down to work and take care of what needs to be taken care of, as it appears it may end up another interesting day.

∞ DT ∞