Been getting to a lot more meetings lately. More and more meeting locations are starting to open up again. The online meetings are okay but nothing beats the in-person meetings.
When you're new to sobriety, there's just not a whole lot of accountability when we're hiding behind our smartphones. It's just too easy to isolate and not have to take much action when we have meetings on our phones. In the old days, my sponsor would actually call me and ask me if I was going to a meeting. Sometimes I would tell him no.
He would then proceed to tell me what time he was picking me up. LOL
He didn't listen to any of my feeble excuses either. He would tell me "you either want this thing or you don't." If you don't want this thing and aren't willing to do what I tell you then don't waste my time. I'm really thankful for the sponsors I've had in my recovery.
When you get to know people inside your home group they can always spot when your ass is falling off long before you do. When you do in-person meetings you just get to know people and they get to know you. It's also easier to share your experience strength and hope with others.
With the online meetings or apps like this it's hard to really see what people are like when they've been sober a long time and have experienced true recovery. Chairperson was walking around looking for people to read and as he came by me I noticed him and asked if he needed somebody to read something for him and he said thank you very much and handed me the preamble.
It's all part of contributing something to the group that day. It's what I call getting active. The other thing about in-person meetings is you can show up early to help set the meeting up or you can stay late to break the meeting down. You can volunteer to do coffee and lots of things. There's no need for any of that with the online meetings. It's just not the same.
If you want what we have you have to be willing to make the changes. This requires changing old habits and starting new habits.
Glad to be sober and glad to be getting back to meetings again. Sobriety is definitely the easier softer way!