Weekend of Recovery and Community

Many Paths One Destination 2013

This weekend was filled with companionship. It began with the Many Roads One Destination event on the 14th and on the 15th a play "Our Experience Has Taught Us", a play about how the 12 Traditions came to be.  What a rich and fabulous life I get to lead.

Speakers on Saturday the 14th told us about their experiences with the 12 Step programs and how they incorporated recovery into their daily lives. Step work, sweat lodges, sharing circles, heart stories, pain release, changes in perspective, and rising like a phoenix from the from the ashes of shame and guilt; there are many ways to embrace and manifest recovery.

The opening ceremony set the tone for the inclusiveness of the Many Paths One Destination event. Come next year and connect with so many facets of our recovery communities.

The next day hearts, minds and spirits were opened and enriched with a play in San Francisco. Amid many errors in organization and some confusion; the day set off on time and with three friends to see "Our Experience Has Taught Us" - a play (docu-play-amentary) about how the A.A. Traditions were crafted.  From the fire of discontent, through the annealing process of discussion, resistance and more discussion; over three years in the crafting the Traditions were created because "without them we would die".  Using extensive interviews, research, reading biographies, news articles and stories, Jackie B. created a poignant piece that brought the viewer right into the moment- to FEEL the critical importance of the traditions. There is a lot to consider, reflect upon, and be grateful for.   The growing pains of this "simple program" were graphically depicted so there was no doubt that this simplicity was hard won.

Made even more wonderful was the companionship of my peeps, a lovely lunch in a splendid San Francisco day, and seeing a friend on stage donating her many talents to this production.

There were discussions of the traditions of membership, the role of the individual group to the whole of the program as well as the functional purpose of anonymity.  See "Our Experience Has Taught Us" and consider the role of anonymity.  Compare and contrast it to the discussions in "The Anonymous People" and really open the floor to in depth conversations.