addictions and people.

Tonight I went to a twelve step Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting in my neighborhood. It was an investigation on my part as I am currently taking a class on substance abuse therapies. Wow. I am touched and made aware and thankful my wise online professor recommended us to go and that I followed through on my end with seeking out the experience and people. Nervous and not knowing what to expect, but scenes and snipets from movies and tv, I ventured to the meeting.

I walk by the building most days and never noticed it. Now I will always notice it and be AWARE of the people meeting there. The people in the meeting were diverse. Some looked just like me, a co-worker, a friend, a few looked like my dad, my mom, an artist, a lawyer, black, white, homeless, yuppie, old, young...It was truly an eclectic group.

The sharing and community is what really touched me. I was such an outsider and I wanted in. These people knew each other, supported one another, and shared such intimate struggles and victories. All in an hour! Everyone held hands in a circle at the end and recited the serenity prayer and the Lord's prayer. It was powerful. They have meetings everyday and some people go daily. To uphold one another. To share life.

It convicted me of my independence in this world. I don't seek out such community often. When I do, I am blessed, but so many other "things", requirements, stresses, which get in the way of me and community. With Jonathan being away, I feel more guilty over my solitude. One great thing about marriage I have discovered is that you don't feel bad about doing absolutely nothing because you are spending time with the one you love. Ha, now that I am alone during the week, my guilt is back!!

Awareness. Don't assume you "know" the person next to you on the metro, at your office, at Starbucks. I can't remind myself of this enough. Addictions are real and effect people just like you and me and our friends, siblings, and neighbors. To me this awareness, means respecting and wanting to learn from people. It doesn't matter if you look like you have it all together, or you don't, or you have a lot of fancy degrees, or you don't. Just share your story with me, or pieces of it, and I promise to soak it in and learn. I can't get over how in our world we walk around with so many stereotypes and stigmas, when really we are all just humans, and our desires, struggles and dreams, are really not that different. What is that old saying, don't judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes?