Terminally Unique

I was sexy looking and thought of myself as terminally unique. Al-Anon didn’t fit my image. But I agreed to go to a meeting because I thought I was doing something to save my marriage (my first husband). His sponsor’s wife picked me up on July 17, 1969 and took me to my first Al-Anon meeting on the second floor of a church across the street from where I went to school in fourth and fifth grades. 

I was twenty-four years old and didn’t want to be there. I was a dancer and didn’t think I had anything in common with the few old ladies who were in the meeting. But I had to go. I couldn’t say no to my husband. Slowly, I began to love it. Meanwhile, we continued going to A.A. meetings, picnics, and other program events together. Our whole social life revolved around the Twelve Step programs. 

Then someone in Al-Anon surprised me by saying: You would be great as an Alateen sponsor for children of alcoholics. Alateen is a support group for young people whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. It is part of Al-Anon. 

Hmmm, I liked the idea of becoming an Alateen sponsor. At that time, Alateen required two sponsors to run a meeting, a member from Al-Anon and member from A.A. I asked my husband’s sponsor, Harry, to co-sponsor the Alateen meeting with me. Harry and I are friends to this day.

Alateen was great! I was supposed to be the adult. Yet I related to the kids. I saw what I needed to change in me through them. This was different from my own Al-Anon program. I was playful with the teens. We held regular and midnight meetings, went to conferences, danced, and got up early to see the sunrise. 

With Alateen and Al-Anon, I learned even more about alcoholism. I dropped my beliefs that an alcoholic was someone who didn't work and was a bum on the street.

#asbonnieseesit

#willingtobecomereal