I am traveling without a purse, so this is an iPhone photo - it lacks a lot of what I could have done with my camera. But the important things are: That is a lot of alcoholics. We all assembled peacefully. We all applauded as each country's representative walked out on stage with their flag. We all sat quietly while three excellent speakers spoke. We ALL stood and said the Lord's Prayer (wow!) A young woman with a beautiful voice sang Amazing Grace and asked us to join in - and we did (wow! again!). The other important thing? You cannot see anyone's face in this photo - it is so important that we keep our anonymity here - and everywhere else too. God has been so good to us.
15 comments:
Wow and wow! What an awesome thing!
Wonderful -- thank you for sharing this!
WOW! Thank you for sharing this photo and update with us. It's all beautiful.
Folks, I got to meet Mary Christine (and dAAve)today, up close and personal! And she is EXACTLY the way she presents herself here...funny, humble, grateful for her sobriety...pretty much a rock star to me! But she wouldn't allow me to be dazzled, and kept telling me to "cut it out" every time I told her how honored I was to meet her. Meeting folks like this at the convention from all over the world has been such an uplifting experience!
Kim from sAn Antonio
A room full of thousands of of alcoholics all singing Amazing Grace...I think I would have sobbed. How absolutely beautiful.
Hi Mary, Thank you. I hope you don't mind, I have put your photo on my blog (with credit and link) and also linked to your blog.
Yes.
Yes.
Wow, I WISH I was there!!!
amazing! thanks for sharing...
I stumbled on your blog...so happy to still be connecting over this incredibly amazing experience (my first intl, also)!! And it looks like you might have been sitting VERY close to me during the opening flag ceremony meeting (my pics look a LOT like that)!! Amazing, huh? I did sob my way through the entire meeting out of gratitude (as I had all day). I simply wept at the thought of all of us around the world, present or not. I loved physically--a touch on the arm, a wave, a smile--reaching out and connecting with anyone and everyone around me for four days! I'm trying to keep this totally overwhelming sense of gratitude with me until Atlanta! :o) Hugs!
To Mary Christine.
It's 4am & I can't sleep. I was thinking againg about friday the 2nd. I too was there! But I viewed the convention from a completely different perspective! You see, I was "The Young Woman" u mentioned that was on stage singing Amazing Grace 4 all of you! I just googled the event & found your blog & picture of the Alamo Dome & kind words! And let me just say... 2 sing 4 all of you was AMAZING! My name is Leslie Lugo! I live in San Antonio & have been singing professionally since I was 15. 21 years in this business but I have never experienced anything like this before. Thanks 2 all of u, I received a once in a lifetime opportunuty 2 sing acapella alone on stage 4 over 50,000 ppl in 98 countries! WOW! Talk about pressure! I was a nervous wreck! ha! I got off stage disappointed in myself 4 skipping a verse & only singing 4 verses instead of the planned 5! My brain was completely consumed! I don't know why we always tend 2 dwell on the negative & overlook the beauty of our experiences! My performance wasn't perfect & yet it still moved u! Thank u 4 posting this! I am a new nonalcoholic friend 2 all of u! And I'm so very greatful 4 the AMAZING life changing experience u all gave me on stage that nite that I will never forget!! God Bless U All!! xoxoxo
I had heard that the final tally was 80,000 for the entire convention; perhaps not for the particular gathering you mentioned, but overall.
I was also blessed to have been able to attend. I want one every month... LOL.... Holly H., Dallas, TX
Oh, and one other thing (or two LOL), when they recited the opening prayer, I just closed my eyes and listened. It was incredibly powerful.
Also, during the OldTimers meeting, I imagined Bill W and Bob S sitting waaaaay up in the top bleachers, in awe of all they had created with God's help.
Leslie!!! Thanks so much for sharing! I, too, thought it was really A-MAZ-ING--your singing and our singing (and I didn't notice the missed verse at all). Everything happens the way it's supposed to...I think an extra verse might have been too many! :o)
I've heard a ton of people quote a ton of attendance figures...I had called the registration people on Monday before, b/c I thought our badges hadn't come. At that time, guy told me there were 53,000+ registered, and they expected another couple of thousand to register on-site. So they were expecting about 56 or 58...the final figure would be interesting!
I had a woman email me today out of the blue to say she wasn't ready to let go of the hugs and connection she made to so many other human beings, which is EXACTLY how I feel, too! Anyone know of a chat room or forum we can go to share about our experiences???
Hugs!
I was at the International Convention and it was a life changing event for me. Everything about it was incredible - the people, the hugs and smiles, the energy, the stories, all of the Big Meetings, singing Amazing Grace and listening to all of the voices blending together, the fellow shipping, and the crazy energy at the dances. One poignant memory for me was all of us converging on the dome from different parts of the city until we were a steady stream of thousands of people as far as I could see in front of me and behind me, smiling, chatting marching in together. I thought all of this because of 2 ordinary me. I am a member of Al-Anon and I love AA, I am so grateful to AA. It has transformed my family and given me a richer life that I ever would have hoped for. I met people from India, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Canada and many parts of the USA. Our experiences with alcoholism and recovery allows us, strangers to meet and forge a common bond. As it says in the Big Book, "We are people who not ordinarily mix." Yet we did and it was beautiful. I am so looking forward to meeting you again in 2015 in Atlanta.
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