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as a less hostile place, is a tough task to accomplish in this day and age. unfortunately the politics of the pandemic and its aftermath, left my local fellowship fractured, separated by dogma, conspiracy and walls of denial. it is certainly hateful to me, that my local fellowship is fractured down the same line as society in general, when in the past, that was truly an outside issue. i am a long way past being the new kid on the block and if i was that guy, i wonder if i could find a home in any group that was on one extreme or the other. i know that playing the middle, i may actually reach that new guy, without chasing them off with their hair on fire.

Chuck C.
Congrats on XXXVII (37) years clean!

i do remember, however, that when i got clean i was told to find the meetings that “spoke” to me and although there were meetings not far away, i was lazy and started or converted a few here in my home town, so of course, i made them exactly what i was seeking, an echo chamber for my views. it took a very long minute for me to realize that as the meetings took on a life of their own and other members started adding to the mix, i was put-off by how different “my meetings” were becoming and had to step back and allow them to become what they would. many of the meetings that survived the pandemic have become echo chambers of extreme opinions on how this recovery gig is done, and for me are off-putting. even when i like all the members who attend those meetings. there are enough echo chambers in my life, i need not add one more, just because a meeting may be convenient.
when i consider how i can welcome the FNG, i have to look at what i say , how i say it and how i interact with my peers in and out of the meetings. i also have to consider if i am going down the path of dogma, rather than sharing about how i did it and where it got me. i may not agree with how any one else happens to work the program of recovery we have been given from those who walked this path before us, BUT that is something i can keep to myself these days. opinions are certainly like assholes, everyone gots one and many of them actually stink. 😆 😉

∞ DT ∞