--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00001 Date: 04/24/96 From: JEFF HUNTER Time: 09:20am \/To: ESTHER LINDENFELD (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: regarding your discussions... Hello Esther, > Sh> I often talk about how important time in more than one recovery > Sh> program has been to me. Now, the most important meetings in my > Sh> recovery are my readings on these conferences. :) > Hi there Shadowcat....Thanks for jumping in. Seems that there is alot > of this going around lately, where people are making their main meetings > online. I really do believe it is because the people on line have the > fellowship part of the program where the actual meetings (at least here in > NY) are severly lacking the fellowship part of the program. This is just > my opinion though and why I don't go to meetings here in NY. I never thought of that, it seems to me that the discussions on line in some of the nets tends to be more involved with real people and real issues rather than the same old party line one gets at the large meetings. I am speaking of the meetings where eveyone paraphrases whatever is was the chairperson said; smart fella that one, he knows his program, he will stay sober for sure. Harumph.... On line, we each get the same opportunity as anyone else, to tell it like it is; then if someone comes on too strong in rebuttal, there is always the twit filter... LOL... For me, AA is an important tool that I use in my effort to stay sober, to keep from needing to deal with the old desire (or need) to take that first drink. AA does not, nor can it, KEEP me sober, I am sober because I want to be and I use the tools that AA provides to stay that way, be they found on line or in person. I don't go to meetings anymore, cannot is possibly correct, but then if I could I probably wouldn't... I am disabled, unable to walk more than a little distance and climbing stairs is very difficult, so these on line contacts are an important way for me to stay in touch with the AA or alcoholic community. Jeff --- DB 1.58/003790 * Origin: The Rain Forest * Denver,CO * (1:104/901) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00002 Date: 04/22/96 From: ANDREW DETTMAN Time: 12:45am \/To: JUDITH LABONTE (Read 0 times) Subj: Breaking the Rules!!! ~ Hello JUDITH LABONTE, keep coming back... Thursday, 18 April 1996 13:39:22, JUDITH LABONTE wrote to ANDREW DETTMAN Subject: Breaking the Rules!!! JL> Many of your ideas about Higher Power remind me very much of JL> Sufism, Bahai, Unitarian Universalist and Mystical Judaism based on JL> the Zohar and Kabbalah - or however YOU spell the transliteration JL> of that term. Wow, spot on. I've heard it said that only the Friend recognises the Friend, so, here we stand then - sharing our under-standing rather than trying to be understood! I do concur with you that this 12 Step Programme is so relevant for the problems of the current societies, it is almost as if the main habit which brings a person onto any of the Fellowship Programmes which follow the 12 Step format becomes a Key which when used to open up a new life for the sufferer can be relegated to the role of a key. We have to remember where we keep it and use it to help us to keep our new life secure and to show others how it works when life locks up! JL> Have you noticed how much harder it is to practise this stuff JL> than it is to read and quote it? (OY!) Oh yea, for so long the Way was a theory among many theories. Many problems in my life were relieved through contact with the Spirituality to be found therein, but I still drank destructively when under certain configurations. Only when God brought me onto the AA Programme could I really start to live a spiritual life in a practical manner. God kept my main habit as the final key to add to the lesser keys granted from the resolution of previous problems, so now all the keys are in hand my programme has been shown to me. That I work an *ordinary* programme no matter what I *think* I have found on the Way is covered well in the Big Book and I have been given a Sponsor who has been strong enough to guide me through the first five steps. So now I can say with my hand on my heart that I am an ordinary member of AA working an ordinary Programme equal in my need of guidance and recovery with every single member of the Fellowship. Thus I am freed to work as my God wills and suggests without being crushed by either pretentious expression or fearful contraction - the Programme takes care of the dangers and the Fellowship facilitates the sharing of mutual under-standing. A Sufi might liken our Meetings to a *Jam* pronounced to rhyme with hum and potentially all those who truly work through the Steps will find that Step 11 will draw the seeker to find a suitable path of growth, possibly from the paths you mention or from one of the other stablished esoteric methodologies. Every true esoteric path complements our Programme of recovery and in Anonymity will enhance our new life of Service and Unity. Thanks for your courage in sharing your intuitions and love to you. Best wishes, Balid. .!. It's getting better all the time. --- Terminate 3.00 * Origin: A Point of shelter, waiting at a Bus Stop..... (2:2502/28.4) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00003 Date: 04/22/96 From: ANDREW DETTMAN Time: 01:34am \/To: LOSTBOY (Read 0 times) Subj: Found the man! ~ Hello Lostboy , keep coming back... Thursday, 18 April 1996 12:52:00, Lostboy wrote to Andrew Dettman Subject: Any body there? L> AD~~Just to see if these messages are getting through :-) L> Hear you LOUD and clear and yes my bodys here :-) Your tag-name reminds me of the title I've put on this message!! Through my 12 Step Programme it was not so much that I lost the boy in me but maybe I ask the emotional toddler to get out of diapers and find the boy that will become the man that will be my ongoing recovery! God knows st. Speak to you again soon perhaps. Best wishes, Andrew. .!. Man looks into the abyss, and sees himself. --- Terminate 3.00 * Origin: A Point of shelter, waiting at a Bus Stop..... (2:2502/28.4) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00004 Date: 04/21/96 From: WES FITZSIMMONS Time: 11:13am \/To: SOBER SWEDE (Read 0 times) Subj: New Prespectives Sober Swede said something about New Prespectives to Wes Fitzsimmons, and I couldn't resist.. Hiya! SS> It's great to see you back. Hope all is well now. Things are real good for the most part, I'm fightin a migrane today but all in all things are well. SS> And just look at the release from BOREDOM! :) Can you imagine SS> life without bumps to wake you up to what's important? Sometimes bordom looks good. All in all, you're right tho. SS> surgery (I've had several) and people that know I'm an alcoholic are SS> amazed that I don't turn bac SS> to the booze to make my way thru' it. I can't think of a rougher and Days like today, I don't have much choice. Taking the meds is the only thing that keeps me from too much pain. SS> more dismal way of dealing with this. At least if I'm sober I know SS> what's going on, The only noticable side effect of the meds is they sometimes make me tired. A blessing when the pains too much. SS> Foot in mouth? Never had that happen......:) You could always start. Try making a brash statement without all the pertinant data. (((Andrea))) Write back soon!, Wes Fitzsimmons FIDO NET 1:18/24 Spinnaker BBS STT INTERNET ac006@virgin.usvi.net ... "Bother," said Pooh, and hid Piglet's corpse. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: SPINNAKER BBS (1:18/24.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00005 Date: 04/21/96 From: WES FITZSIMMONS Time: 11:29am \/To: PAT WINSTANLEY (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Day by Day Pat Winstanley said something about Re: Day by Day to Wes Fitzsimmons, and I couldn't resist.. Hiya Pat, it took 20 days but it got here. Must of taken the scenic rout. PW> How does one know what the HP is telling them ... what the 'will' is? PW> I mean, in 'real' life there is the spoken aloud conversation, the PW> telephone, the letter, the e-mail... what is there as a response PW> mechanism in prayer? I think I answered this via another message but, my HP speaks to me thru the voices of books and others in and around the rooms. The rest is a small voice that reminds me of how insane I was and sometimes still can be. WF> out." Not sure why, but it goes against the grain of WF> Step 7's "Humbly asked him to remove our shortcomings." PW> Why? How do you see the two joining together, or one following from PW> the other, (or not)? Actually, Billy O gave me some good ideas of the seventh step. Can't remember his exact words, tho the main train was that our character defects were natural responses that were twisted by our fighting to survive in the world and that instead of their removal, they were being redirected thru our recovery to be appropriate to the situations of life. It goes well with the studies that state you can't just do away with a bad habit, but you have to replace it with a good habit to fill the void. Step 11 is how we wok to grow spiritually, by communicating with our HP to become less self obsessed. It's been a long time, been thinking about you often. (((Pat))) Write back soon!, Wes Fitzsimmons FIDO NET 1:18/24 Spinnaker BBS STT INTERNET ac006@virgin.usvi.net ... I started out broke. I still have some left. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: SPINNAKER BBS (1:18/24.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00006 Date: 04/24/96 From: WES FITZSIMMONS Time: 10:30pm \/To: MARY BETH PARISI (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: cravings??? Mary Beth Parisi said something about Re: cravings??? to Pat Winstanley, and I couldn't resist.. Hiya Mary, or is it Mary Beth? PW> I haven't a clue how to solve the problem, but would love to hear any PW> practical suggestions..... MBP> I guess don't drink and go to meetings, get a good support network MBP> and realize that you have to reach out...one thing I learned from all MBP> this is that no problem is too small that I can't bring it to another MBP> person in recovery, to a meeting, or right here...thanks for MBP> writing...I don't feel so alone right now I still remember the lad that was in the pscyh ward when I went in. We tried and tried to get him to talk about his problems in group. He always said they weren't important enough to talk, always thinking others had "real" problems. When I was checking out, they were getting ready to move him to the hard core ward for shock treatment. I couldn't understand his believing that his problems weren't important enough to discuss. The short version goes, he still hadn't talked when I was finally released. Write back soon!, Wes Fitzsimmons FIDO NET 1:18/24 Spinnaker BBS STT INTERNET ac006@virgin.usvi.net ... Lighthouses don't make noise, they just shine. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: SPINNAKER BBS (1:18/24.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4U00007 Date: 04/24/96 From: WES FITZSIMMONS Time: 10:58pm \/To: SHADOWCAT (Read 0 times) Subj: regarding your discussion Shadowcat said something about regarding your discussion to Mary Beth Parisi, and I couldn't resist.. Hi Shadowcat! Sh> I am so grateful to have learned these basic things - such as that my Sh> feelings are my feelings, and that she had as much right to judge them Sh> as she did to be making stupid stereotpical statements about any group Sh> of people. Hmmm... I'll agree with the first 1, (your feelings are yours). Then you begin to wander into the grey. I can't say she has the right to judge your feelings, however, she does the the right to her opinion on both your feelings and to make stupid stereotypical remarks. Guess I'm a bit sensitive about rights at the moment. Still holding some heat from the "Native" *ssh*l* (my opinion) who while making a speech on the local PBS (educational channel), stated that the US constitution has no validity here in "his" Virgin Islands. I would be perfectly willing to strip him of all the rights granted by the US constitution, especially freedom of speech. He's a close friend of the NVI Senator who recently shot (3 times) and killed his son in self defense, ending a month long feud. This is the same senator who not too long ago, threatened other members of the senate along with the audience when his idea was criticized. His criticized idea was to grant special rights to "Native Virgin Islanders" in a way that was quite unconstitutional. Sh> I was stricken with a warmth and calm that made it okay for me to Sh> disassociate from the discussion. A cool "okay" point to depart from Sh> the whole ugly encounter. And there are times when you pull away from a situation to maintain your sanity. Sometimes it's hard to pull away from a fight when you feel you're right. Sh> I'm glad I wrote about it here, and am really glad to have received Sh> comments back. Sounds like a good idea, hence the above. I had to bail from the local chatter, it got too hot and too personal. (((Shadowcat))) Write back soon!, Wes Fitzsimmons FIDO NET 1:18/24 Spinnaker BBS STT INTERNET ac006@virgin.usvi.net ... Asking advice in an AA meeting is like taking a sip from a fire hose. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: SPINNAKER BBS (1:18/24.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4V00000 Date: 04/24/96 From: DAVID GOYETTE Time: 08:20am \/To: LOSTBOY (Read 0 times) Subj: Respond, please. Hello Lostboy! Monday April 22 1996 19:38, Lostboy wrote to All: L> I am new to doing this on-line thing and have posted several messages L> but nothing seems to happen. L> could someone please tell me if I'm getting through (out, on-line ???) L> * SLMR 2.1a * L> -+- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 L> + Origin: Recovery BBS-W Palm Bch,FL 407-964-3855 (1:3609/28.0) Hey there, I'm from St Petersburg. Nice to see you on the Recovery echo. David --- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: 1st Nats Resource Netw BBS 813-821-8804 (1:3603/390) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4V00001 Date: 04/24/96 From: TIM DILL Time: 10:45am \/To: ARCHIE CAIRNS (Read 0 times) Subj: 1881 Lanarkshire Index On (19 Apr 96) Archie Cairns was mumbling to Riley Williams... AC> Hi Riley AC> Thanks for calling me the other evening to let me know that the Census AC> Index was completed. AC> * Origin: CAIRNS **Just another One Name Study** Lothians Scotland AC> (440:244/12) Hello, I am the asst moderator hereabouts First of all this landed outside the network you have this message intended for. It wound up in the little message base known as FIDO net Recovery echo. I don't know how or why you configured your system as such but this sort of traffic is not welcome here.... Tim Dill Asst Moderator Recovery Echo... Fidonet aj727@lafn.org Internet address --- PPoint 2.00 * Origin: Trudging the road in Torrance Ca. (1:102/749.2) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 231 RECOVERY Ref: D4V00002 Date: 04/24/96 From: TIM DILL Time: 10:51am \/To: RILEY WILLIAMS (Read 0 times) Subj: LDS 1881 Census Transcription Project up10:51:4404/24/96 On (17 Apr 96) Riley Williams was mumbling to All... RW> Hi All, RW> * Origin: Memory Alpha, Kincorth, Kincardineshire, Scotland RW> (440:244/73@iganet) Hello, I am the asst moderator hereabouts First of all this landed outside the network you have this message intended for. It wound up in the little message base known as FIDO net Recovery echo. I don't know how or why you configured your system as such but this sort of traffic is not welcome here.... Tim Dill Asst Moderator Recovery Echo... Fidonet aj727@lafn.org Internet address --- PPoint 2.00 * Origin: Trudging the road in Torrance Ca. (1:102/749.2)