Personal Narrative-AA Meeting

“Ok anyone got the How it Works?” Andy called out as his blue bulging eyes scanned the seats.
“I do!” Linda screeched, Linda a woman in her mid 40’s, with hair dyed red, and some reading glasses proceeded to list out how NA meetings work.
“Thank you Linda, who has the twelve traditions of NA?”
“I got it” Larry moans, and the meeting would continue thus everyday. Every time someone spoke they started with, “I am NAME and I am an addict,” and everyone would reply with “thank you NAME.” During each meeting, someone would forget to say their name, usually Betty and she would be targeted by the group.
“Betty, what’s your name?” someone would slyly ask.
“Oh, uh! I am Betty and I am an addict,” Betty would hurry through the greeting, this was a recurring

The tension was palpable.
“Alrighty then!, who is treasurer this week?” went on Andy trying to disperse the apprehension. This illustrated how much the group meant to Andy, because he was afraid to lose the group even though he had the longest sobriety in the group. Additionally, many of the members attend other NA or AA meetings and reported feeling closer to those other groups.
“I honestly don’t want to come back here, Andy is a dick, these women don’t have someone to take care of their kids, and since when did we decided we don’t allow kids. He isn’t the leader, this is a group, we all choose together all he cares is about himself” Steve spat with contempt.
If we hadn’t been there for that meeting, we would have believed that the group was entirely loving, intimate and attached. However, the group was made of complex individuals dealing with tough situations. It is human nature to have highs and lows and the members of this group cared for each other, but their own trials and tribulations was of more concern to them. It was because of self-interest they chose to join his group. The group members knew that their days were numbered if they used. And they were scared to