Mary Christine wrote about people taking notes in a meeting. Lou wrote about mental illness and addiction. Here is my random thoughts on each.
- If you are hearing something profound (or for the first time) in a meeting then you probably aren't going to enough meetings.
- Hearing someone share something about their experiences that you find "moving" is an indicator that you should speak with them after the meeting, get a phone number, get a new person in your sober life.
- One of the most important lessons in going to meetings is learning to appreciate the concept of staying in the moment. One can not truly appreciate the moment if they are trying to write down and take the moment home with them.
- How in the world would the person sharing their pain know that the writer in the room was not penning a note to their brother in Montana for heavens sake.
- Reading a magazine, texting, talking and writing should be saved for the parking lot. Someone saying something awesomely inspiring in a meeting does not give one permission to write it down and take it with them. Keep coming back and you'll hear it all enough times for it to sink in.
- None of this applies to the newcomer who has no idea about anything.
7 comments:
Thanks Pammie. I was beginning to think I had a minority opinion. So now you, me, and my sponsor all agree. You hit on the spiritual importance of staying in the moment which is HUGE. Also, I believe that God gives us filters so we only hear what we are supposed to hear.
Andrew thinks it's a good meeting if his sponsor takes him out for ice cream after.
Does that count?
I am glad that there are no musts in Al-Anon. There are many ways to stay in the moment, and to carry the moment with me. I treasure the dated writings that I have in my books. And I did learn that from my sponsor whose book pages are covered with 21 years of his writings. Besides, some of us have short attention spans and memory lapses as we get older! LOL--have a good day Pammie. We are all different humans traveling on a path.
Just stopping by to say hello, and let you know I think of you often in a kind and loving way throughout my day :)
I care! Looking forward to more. Hope your day is good!
Alanon Mtgs are the only place I don't take notes. I am an avid notetaker because I can't remember a damn thing if I don't write it down!
But in Al-Anon I sit and listen and then of course forget whatever profound things I hear. I can see both sides to the notetaking thing. I think you can tell when someone is paying attention to the speaker and taking notes vs. writing something non-related.
I often take a "quickie" note...something that hit me just so. I collect them in a notebook at home and I LOVE IT! It's like one big meeting. It's not distracting and it helps carry a message with me. Otherwise, I forget it!
Post a Comment