Do you like meeting people? Do you like to travel? Do you like to learn new things and have new and interesting experiences? Would you welcome the chance to deepen your spirituality? These are all things I have experienced in the past ten months while serving as a GSR. Last November when the call came for the newly open GSR position, I remember timidly raising my hand, and hoping like hell that someone else would also raise their hand. But it was only me, so I took on the position. My first experience was at the January District 10 GSR meeting. No problem I thought afterwards, just take notes and report back to the group; kind of like the Central Office Representative position. Then in the February GSR meeting it was strongly recommended that all the GSR’s attend the February Area 69 Committee Meeting. I made the short drive up to Davis County and got there just as the committee chairs were finishing their reports and in time for in time for the lunch break which consisted of a delicious potato bar. Then shit got real. The next 2 or 3 hours consisted of listening to our current delegate, Wade J., give a report consisting of what felt like a million agenda items to be presented at the General Service Conference in New York City, to take place in May. I felt a little bit overwhelmed by all that information, and wondered how I might possibly remember it all. Not a problem; everyone was given a prepared copy of the agenda items! Please note the word prepared! Somewhere behind the scenes, someone anticipated our needs for this information. After the delegates’ report everyone was split into committee round tables for the purpose of discussing respective committee affairs. The same agenda items were gone over again in April at the pre-conference assembly! It was during this assembly that I first learned about the unique challenges facing the creation of a Navajo version of our “Big Book”. As this was a three day affair, there was a meeting on Sunday morning, highlighted by a spiritual speaker. It was pure bliss to listen to another alcoholic talk about their spiritual experiences, especially after getting to listen to the conference agenda items for a second time. Since then I have had the great fortune to attend two more workshops and another assembly. I say fortune, because I had the pleasure of listening to two more Sunday morning spiritual speakers. In closing I want to convey that service work has enhanced my sobriety and deepened my spiritual connection with life. I have also realized that in raising my hand a year ago I put myself in my Higher Powers’ hands, and what I was afraid to do was nowhere near as bad as I had previously imagined. Just as we do not get sober and take the twelve steps alone; neither is service work done alone. There are service sponsors and every event is put together by a committee of six or more willing and trusted servants! We have each others’ back! All up and down the AA service ladder and throughout AA!

-Thanks for letting me be of service, Laura C. GSR