Page 13 - AA NEWS JULY 2019

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THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO GO Third Weekenders Camping William Heise County Park
When: August 16 - 18
Contact: Bill H: holmes.family.8925@gmail.com
Mental Health Issues in AA Workshop
Where: Alliant University, 9783 Ave of the Nations, San Diego When: August 17, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Contact: dcm14.area8aa@gmail.com
The 61st ICYPAA Entire Psychic Change
Where: Boston Marriott Copley Place, Boston, MA When: August 22 - 25, 2019
Contact: Central Office 619-265-8762
Monterey Bay Area Round-Up Where: Monterey Conference Ctr, Monterey
When: August 30 - September 1, 2019 Contact: Central Office 619-265-8762
68th Southern California AA Convention A New Way A New Life
Where: The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa, Rancho Mirage When: September 27 - 29, 2019
Contact: info@aasocal.com
32nd Annual Havasu Round-Up Miracle on the River
Where: London Bridge Resort, Lake Havasu City, AZ When: November 1 - 3, 2019
Contact: Central Office 619-265-8762
2020 International Convention Where: Detroit, Michigan
When: July 2-5, 2020
Contact: Central Office 619-265-8762
"Frequently Asked Questions About A.A." (P-2) page 26
"If I come into A.A., won't I miss a lot of friends and a lot of fun?
The best answer to this is the experience of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have already come into A.A. In general, their attitude is that they did not enjoy real friendships or real fun until they joined A.A. Their point of view on both has changed.
Many alcoholics discover that their best friends are delighted to see them face up to the fact that they cannot handle alcohol. No one wants to see a friend continue to hurt.
Naturally, it is important to distinguish between friendships and casual barroom acquaintanceships. The alcoholic is likely to have many acquaintances whose conviviality may be missed for a while. But their place will be taken by the hundreds of A.A.s the newcomer will meet - men and women who offer understanding acceptance, and help in sustaining sobriety at all times.
Few members of A.A. would trade the fun that comes with sobriety for what seemed to be fun while they were drinking."
Reprinted with permission from A.A.W.S.
Big Book, "Gutter Bravado" page 507-508
"No one but the hopeless really knew what it felt like to exist without hope. The skeptic in me came out, searching for every loophole and excuse to pick things apart and to divert attention from my condition. My initial optimism was beginning to waver. Was this all there was?
However, there was one man on the staff who seemed different. He seemed very comfortable and at ease with a bit of a knowing sparkle in his eye. This guy was clearly not as stuffy as the rest, and when he told me his story, I was surprised to find it very similar to mine - only his was no secret. He mentioned being a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. How could it be that he obviously had the respect of the staff after having lived a life of crime? How could it be that he was a lot like me but had made it back? Here was someone who was sober, yet cool; humble, yet firm in his convictions; serious, but not without a sense of humor. This was one to whom I could relate and maybe even trust. He may have saved my life just by being there, and to this day he doesn't even know it."
Reprinted with permission from A.A.W.S.
Living Sober, Chapter 4; page 9
Remembering that alcoholism is an incurable, progressive, fatal
disease
"We try never to lose sight of the unchangeable fact of our alcoholism, but we learn not to brood or feel sorry for ourselves or talk about it all the time. We accept it as a characteristic of our body - like our height or our need for glasses, or like any allergies we may have.
Then we can figure out how to live comfortably - not bitterly - with that knowledge as long as we start out by simply avoiding that first drink"
Reprinted with permission from A.A.W.S.
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