HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
May 13, 2006 When I first moved to this rural West Virginian Community - the first question was, "Where are the 12 Steppers?" I didn’t have to look too far. The 12 Stepping Guru came to me. The neighbors graciously helped us to unload the furniture from the truck to our new home. I noticed a 12 Step Flyer on the counter of the neighbor’s kitchen. I mentioned to the woman that I was a 12 Stepping teetotaler for a little over 21 years. The woman was very excited. She ran out the door and told her husband that he needed to take me to a meeting. I eventually realized that we moved across the street from the gentleman that the 12 community coined "The Guru." I quickly realized that there were very few women in the meeting. The Guru pointed out that he had to sponsor women because there were no other women to do it. What is it about the Mid-Atlantic Belles? Do they feel the shame of Alcoholism so acutely that they won’t reach out for help? I have seen some women enter a meeting full of mostly men and promptly walk out. Some of the Left Coast Sisters are well established hoes so sobering up is no big deal. My first goal was to establish a safe place for Alcoholic women to find recovery. This was not an easy task because there simply were not enough women to support a women’s group. The first meeting that I established fell by the wayside. More women with long term recovery moved into the community. Soon I was no longer alone. One woman at a time in the community itself started to recover. Last fall, we decided to start a Women’s 12 Step Support Group - once again. I was elected treasurer. We averaged about five dollars a meeting. I placed the money in a McDaniel’s Gourmet Blended Hazelnut Flavored Coffee Can. Later I transferred the money to a bank safe deposit box. On Washington’s Birthday, we officially became Women In The Solution - A.A. Group. Seven years later, my goal of creating a safe place for alcoholic women to find recovery has become a reality. Last week, we finally had enough money to put it in a bank account. The Accounts Officer is a friend of mine. I asked her about what was the most cost effective way to start the account. She asked me my age and I told her fifty something. We opened the account as a Non Profit Organization with Senior Privileges. The first checks are free and there are no service charges. Isn’t life Grand? I had just turned twenty-one when I first joined the Twelve Step Community.. Alcohol had gotten me into some situations that gave me some very compelling reasons to go the teetotaler route. The handwriting was written on the wall and I didn’t like the direction it was taking me. I was old enough to legally start drinking and decided to quit. Now I am old enough to join AARP - and treasurer of the Women In The Solution AA Group. Last night, a friend and I drove to a meeting in Virginia where I was a speaker. We were excited about finally having a bank account. We discussed the possibility of organizing a women’s retreat. Maybe the Greenbrier where all the rich folks including Dubya go will donate some space. Yeah Sure! We discussed other places for a retreat. The meeting in Virginia concluded. We talked to two women who mentioned that they were the only females in the group. "Congratulation, " I told them. "You two are blessed with the mission of being leaders for women’s recovery in your community. ------------ About the author: Bonijean Isaacs is a freelance writer and Astrologer in West Virginia. Email: inez4liberty@gmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
