Saturday, April 19, 2008

Saturday Afternoon

I did run 15 miles today. It nearly killed me, but I did it. When I was hobbling to my car to go home I couldn't help but wonder how I could possibly run another 11.2 miles after 15. I really don't know. But I didn't think I could run 15 either.

I thought the above photo was funny. There is a cafe just for people on the trail. So, all these yuppies in their spandex get a cup of latte and get a little bit more aggressive than they had been earlier - and believe me, they are quite aggressive. Sharing a trail with bike riders on a Saturday afternoon is something I don't think I want to do again.

The meeting was quite good this morning. I was happy to be chairing. Especially since I had a running skirt on and the desk at the front of the room where the chairperson sits hides a person's legs. ha ha.

I talked with someone after the meeting who agreed that chairing meetings is so very good for people newer in sobriety. You may say that I need to chair meetings, but I say that I know I can chair a meeting and every time I do I take away that opportunity from someone who doesn't know they can chair a meeting. The principle of rotation has been one of the finer lessons I have learned in Alcoholics Anonymous. As a person with long term sobriety, there are plenty of things that I am responsible for, but I don't think chairing a lot of meetings is one of them.

Now I am looking for someone who will go to dinner with me. I will buy if they will fly. I need a ride. There is no way right now that I could even drive a car! What a jock, huh?

P.S., my son just called and we are going to have spaghetti from my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant!!!! YAY!!!

8 comments:

Anonymous Alcoholic said...

I and my sponsor say that everyone no matter how much time they have, everyone should chair meetings at least once every three months. Keep it up!

Zanejabbers said...

Glad you had a good run. Aaahh, a good ole neighborhood Italian restaurant - I wish I had one out here. I miss the one in LA.

Kathy Lynne said...

Thanks for saying that. As a relative newcomer, I hear so often that we should take the cotton out of our ears and put it in our mouths and it just doesn't sit well for me. I am grateful that my sponser is in your camp and encouraged me to speak and that 3 of my meetings were round robins where it often became my turn. Usually I just burst into tears but I tried. In my first three months I had been on 2 commitments, chaired a meeting, became a secretary of a group and this I think was very important to my getting in the middle of the program and is why I am sober today.

Hope your spaghetti was yummy!

Scott W said...

I had a delicious cantaloupe for dinner. Yummy!

dAAve said...

Am I too late to eat?

Congrats on the 15 miles. I suppose that there will be a point at which you begin gliding during a marathon. In other words, the distance to go becomes unimportant. Somewhat robotic-like. I guess you'll find out in Alaska.

Banana Girl said...

You always crack me up! Thanks for the reminder about chairing. I now have an excuse not too for as long as newbies enter the room. Just kidding. It truly is the quality of the the experience and not the quantity of time in the experience that matters. Some of the best meetings we have had lateley have been chaired by recent newcomers and the topics for discussion have been offered by others fresh in recovery who remind me what I have forgotten about early recovery. I need those reminders to help my sponsees and myself. Thanks again oh wise sherpa.

Pammie said...

I have had the "let someone with less experience chair the meeting" conversation more times than I can count little bagel butt.

Syd said...

Good for you on making the 15 miles. Hey, you did it. And the dinner sounds really good.