Saint Seaweed

More from the A.A. pamphlet on the idea of The Home Group:

Experience with alcohol is one thing all A.A. members have in common.  It is misleading to hint or give the impression that A.A. solves other problems or knows what to do about drug addiction.

Traditionally, most A.A. members through the years have found it important to belong to one group which they call their "Home Group."  This is the group where they accept service responsibilities and try to sustain friendships.  This Home Group, for many members, becomes their extended family.

The main difference between meetings and groups is that A.A. groups generally continue to exist outside the prescribed meeting hours, ready to provide Twelfth Step help when needed.

For me personally one of the hardest ideas to eject from my mind is the thought that everybody could benefit from a spiritual Twelve Step program.  Frankly, I don't know how people walk around all day without the kind of help I get in Alcoholics Anonymous.  I spend an inordinate amount of time working on my spiritual growth and still end up acting in ways that would make your average sociopath proud.

I know that having a regular group that I attend makes me accountable in ways that are important to my spiritual growth.  People see me and get to know me and notice when I'm not around.  I'm accountable.  I give a little extra money even though half the assholes there don't contribute.  I muck out coffee pots in the kitchen after the meeting even though I'm too important to do scut work.  I block the doorway after the meeting ends to make sure no one escapes without at least being acknowledged.  I can't tell you how aggravating it is to finish cleaning up in the kitchen where I'm secretly harboring resentments over the  cheapness of some of our members and then getting waylaid by a newcomer who's not that interesting and only marginally coherent while watching a friend flit out before I get a chance to talk to them.

I am a fucking Saint.