Shortly after arriving in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous, I decided that I wanted to be “a part of”. I wanted to belong to this brilliant group of people who had taken politics, religion and money, and set them aside. I was also still telling myself that I was shy and not very good at making friends, when the reality was that I was terrified of talking to people after avoiding them for over a decade. Whenever I had to come in contact with people, I avoided talking so they wouldn’t smell alcohol. This habit carried into my first few months in the rooms, but I’m thankful for that time because I learned a lot as I sat in the back corner and listened to every word.
Eventually I thought about getting a service position, and one of my friends suggested volunteering at Central Office. I started coming in on Wednesday mornings to answer phones and sell chips and books, and one day, a few months after I had been coming in, my fellow volunteer mentioned that Central Office needed someone to edit the newsletter. I was finishing up my English Lit degree at the U and thought it sounded perfect! At the next Central Office meeting (2nd Tuesday of the month @6:30) I stood for the lifeline editor position, and everyone warmly welcomed me into the group.
My predecessor, Jenny, taught me all about Lucid Press, lots of computer stuff that I had never learned, and has given me excellent support during the last few years. She still helps me do final edits, sends out the lifeline in email form and helps gather content. I’m very grateful for her contributions. I am also very grateful to everyone who has submitted anything to the lifeline to be printed. Your stories, poems and artwork have inspired and delighted me, and I’m sure many others.
During one of my first committee meetings we were discussing how to get articles, and we came up with a plan to ask the prisoners if they would like to write about their experience, strength and hope. My friend Pine, who has been taking meetings out there for over seven years, has been able to bring me the most amazing, honest, heart felt articles and poems that have ever been submitted to the lifeline. The courage these prisoners have shown in sharing their personal stories has been inspirational. Because Pine takes copies of the newsletter out there, and brings me their letters and poems, I get to hear about them looking forward to the next issue, and how amazing their meetings are. It’s been an incredible thing to be a part of. I don’t know the men out there personally, but I feel like we have a connection because of this newsletter, and I am grateful for it.
When I was diagnosed with throat cancer in March this year, there were weeks when I was unable to attend meetings. Thankfully I could walk up a few stairs to my parents computer and work on the lifeline for an hour or two here and there. It really kept me connected to the rooms while I couldn’t physically be there, and I am beyond grateful for that. Reading the daily emails sent to me by wizards every morning, as well as the content sent to the lifeline, really helped me through some rough days. I am still mystified by the amount of prayers sent my way, and am grateful beyond words for all of them.
Being the editor of the lifeline has forced me out of my comfort zone, to ask people to write articles and help with content. It has held me responsible for getting something with value mailed out to hundreds of people each month. It has also been one of the greatest gifts of my recovery and I would recommend it to anyone. I have grown into a more loving, tolerant alcoholic because of this service position, and am very grateful that I’ve been a part of producing it.
If you are reading this and haven’t jumped into the service pool, I invite you to come and see what it is like. Central Office is a great place to start and this month we have several positions that are up for election. They are: Secretary, Treasurer, Literature, Corrections, and Newsletter/lifeline. I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!
-Love, Shurone