Temporary Friday Internet Secretary Seaweed

Discordant:  Disagreeing or incongruous; harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony.

So society is beginning to slowly open back up with audible creaks and groans and black-snake moans.  It's tentative at best.  And we're going to have to decide, as a Fellowship, what this means for us.  I'm guessing, like society at large, that some of our members are going to want to proceed with an excess of caution while some are frustrated that things aren't back to "where they used to be" already.  I can see the potential for discord.  Imagine that: discord in a discordant Society.  It's not like alcoholics have ever disagreed with each other about anything.

My large morning group is going to have a business meeting two days from today.  I generally avoid these cesspools of discordant punk rock because I have enough of a tendency to seek out the low point of my serenity without getting together with a bunch of idiots who can't see how right I am about everything.  Like I need to get into a prolonged discussion about the proper procedure for getting a cake ordered for a birthday celebration.  Seriously - this topic ended up heated and lengthy.

Complicating matters is that this group is downtown so it gets a steady stream of the homeless and people from halfway houses and treatment centers.  They aren't a large percentage but they're measurable.  While these folks are certainly welcome, by god, they can also be problematic with their grubby, unwashed hands and tendency to use the bathrooms and dig into the cookies and coffee.

I'm the Temporary Friday Internet Secretary for this group - whatever the fuck that is - so I'm obligated to show up and, befitting my position as the Ruler of the Universe, I've worked up a lot of suggestions as to how we start the meeting rolling again.  One would be to count off into a few smaller groups that would be dispersed to different corners of the room and - yeah - that's not happening.  Another would be to stagger the meeting so that the early risers could come at 6:30 instead of 7:00 which would allow a second wave to start at 7:45 and - holy shit, yeah - that's not happening either.  A solid suggestion might be to announce some rules about mask-wearing and social-distancing and - boy, alcoholics love someone telling them to follow a rule - so not a prayer for that working.  And that last suggestion would imply someone might need to point out to rules-flaunters that they were flaunting the rules.  I can see that working well - a woman secretary, who weighs 105 pounds, telling some belligerent dude without a mask that he has to leave.

I was initially ready to present these choices at the business meeting.  I was getting worked up - pre-worked up - that these outstanding choices would not be accepted even though they're all fucking outstanding.  My time in The Program has taught me to seek counsel when I'm unsure of myself, of my motives, to bounce my incredible, infallible thoughts off other members, especially when I'm girding my loins for mortal combat.

The pressure in my self-righteous balloon has been relieved.  I will take a Vow of Silence.  Frankly, I think the direction of any meeting should be set by regular members who have in the range of 2 to 10 years of sobriety.  It's their meeting.  They should set the agenda.  When I was getting sober there weren't even car phones let alone texting and cell phones and Facebook.  These people are going to have to live with the consequences of the decisions so let them call the shots.  Elder Statesman rather that Bleeding Deacon.

From my casual conversations I think what will happen is that our younger, healthier, braver members can start the process by showing up in person and the rest of us will continue online.  This seems appropriate.   And I think that the group will come up with suggested attire and seating arrangements and if someone doesn't follow them so be it.  I guess anyone who doesn't like this can leave.

It'll be alright.  We'll get there.