Went to the ESIG 30th Anniversary Celebration last night with Michelle F-W. It was a wonderfully nice event MC'd by the ESIG board chairman Mark S. There was a discussion panel, a raffle and live music along with much socializing to a full house at the Lake Samm 4-Square Church on NE 8th.
The 4-person panel each give a 12-minute presentation on what it was like, what happened, and what it is like now. Interestingly enough, they mostly focused on what it was like. Usually 12-step programs focus on being in the solution. Discussing the problem helped more than a few members of the audience relate to the panel members and find commonality.
I gave my friend Caroline the phone number for Wendi O who was on the panel and is an ESIG board member. Michelle F-W had two days sober and a common problem for women new to sobriety of feeling safe relating to other women. On the way to the car she talked with PJ from North Bend getting her phone number and agreed to stop by the ESIG office on Monday to talk with Nancy the office manager.
Toni asked me to dance with her on the second song. There was a sense of fantastic progress from where we were last August. She was in a PT-type rehab facility with a broken her hip. I was using. She has recovered completely from her broken hip. I have 70 days today.
Jody M asked me to dance. I ended up dancing with Jody, Toni, Emily, and Annon—all at the same time—that was fun! Toni's young friend Emily is beautiful and it was her first dance ever in recovery. It was a nice safe place for all of us to have fun. Jody had gone to the Eagles concert with me two years ago when we sat in the front row at Key Arena. It was nice of her to ask me to dance.
Michelle F-W and I sat with my great friend Leslee J and Brock's wife Michelle near the front of the room. Janet B gave me a hug on the way out and took my picture with ESIG former board members Stephanie and Carl. It was good to see & hug Janet, I had behaved less than admirably on our last few interactions as board members.
Talked on the phone and laughed with Gigi while writing this post. It is her birthday on 1/30. We have celebrated our birthdays together for the last decade. When she gets back from Mexico, we will go do something fun. I got her an Amazon Local 1-hour massage in Issaquah for when she gets back.
Tonight is a cookie social at my home group.
I am grateful for my friends in recovery, Eastside Intergroup's carrying the message for 30 years, and fun social events.
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