To all those people doing lines, Don't do it, don't do it, Inject your soul with liberty

[kensmind]

We usually average about 14 people at my AA home group each week, but last night we had 19 people show up. That was more than I had expected, considering that word may not have spread to people that we're back up and running again, but other people whose home groups have not yet reopened had heard about us being open and so a few of them turned up

Comments

[spiffikins]

I love your icon :)

I'm glad you were able to start having in-person meetings again - and I hope that things continue to go smoothly with no adverse consequences!

[kensmind]

Everyone is being respectful and following all the rules. Everyone seems to be on guard against those adverse consequences. Here's hoping that this continues.

[seaivy]

19 !!!
O WOW!
and now increasing your home group
what a blessing you are
how abandoned those people must have felt when their home group was no more

love your poetry
Service and Thayer, of course
i memorized most of Carroll
and then Dylan Thomas

(the Brits were part of English Lit which meant they never really got their chance)

[kensmind]

I don't mean in any way to minimize the risk posed by COVID-19, but while the pandemic has been on, we've had a real spike in this province in overdose deaths. It's been from a combination of causes, one of which has been the inaccessibility for many people of AA and NA meetings and other forms counseling. Although AA is for people with alcohol problems and not drug problems per se, the modern reality is that a large segment of the population struggle with both and get help wherever they can find it. For many people that's in AA because there are more meetings and people tend to have longer recovery there.

So while some people are critical of AA meetings reopening, I wonder poses the greater risk: having them under careful conditions or making them accessible only to those who have computers?

[ragnarok_08]

That's good you're starting to have in-person meetings again :)

[kensmind]

I think so too. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I don't mean to minimize the risk of reopening, but while there have been no AA or NA meetings taking place in person, British Columbia has had a drastic increase in overdose deaths that has gone overlooked. My hope is that if we reopen safely, maintaining social distancing and with frequent hand sanitizing and cleaning of surfaces, we can help more people and hopefully save more lives.

[wanderipity]

Rudyard Kipling <3

Sorry if I am a little late on asking but am well aware of your entries mentioning AA. You are the organizer for them, right?

[kensmind]

Most groups have a group secretary who organizes the meetings for that group and I've taken on that task for mine. While the pandemic was one, I organized a couple of phone meetings because a lot of people in our group don't like Zoom. The hall we meet at only wants to give the key to the hall to two people, and the other person had some serious health issues last year, which is why I have been doing most of the set up, but I don't mind. We don't have very many group members, so finding someone else to take it over has been tough, and since we're one of the oldest local groups, I want to do my best to keep it going.

[meathiel]

Sounds as if people were happy to meet again in person. It IS different from zoom meetings!

[kensmind]

Yes, people seemed so happy to see one another again. Many people just don't like the zoom meetings and many don't have access to computers, or have them but aren't that computer literate.