Just For Today Group

SUNDAY 24 MAY ……………..11:15

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Today I attended a Virtual Meeting with the primary topic revolving around service to the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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I listened to some interesting shares during the meeting.

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As usual, during the course of the shares, I posted on my personal video screen a variety of slides containing things like our 12 Traditions, Resentments, Definition of Alcoholism, importance of the Home Group, and other such pictures, all of which are intended to make a contribution to the meeting.

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After about 30 minutes, I was notified that the Host had stopped my video, meaning that I had become immobilised and could not show my images on my personal video screen.

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I privately texted the Host asking why?

 

I was informed by chat text that it was a group conscience decision made the previous week.

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If that were the case, why was my video screen not frozen beforehand?

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Why was I not politely requested to stop posting different images on the screen beforehand?

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If requested, I would certainly have complied with the group conscience decision - if that had been the case.

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Instead, I was abruptly stopped from using my video, which was an affront to my dignity and quite insulting.

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I was after some time asked if I would like to share. I did share briefly, and my reaction was aggressive and damning.

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This outburst certainly did me no good or to the serenity of those present.

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Before leaving the meeting, I made my apologies for offending the members and abruptly left.

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For those at the meeting who were offended by my outburst, please forgive me. I was not targeting my anger at you personally. I was reacting to the way I was being treated - not as an equal but as an individual whose contributions to the meeting were arbitrarily blocked by “AA police tactics”.

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My respect for AA – (as a whole), has not been adversely affected, but today's incident has highlighted the need for experience in the chair when hosting AA meetings, whether these are Virtual or otherwise.

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AA service is about doing something rather than being someone.

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Again, I sincerely regret offending ANYONE today and ask you to forgive me if you are able to...................Doug

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