Narcotics Anonymous: Giving Time, Time
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Summit Herald .Summit's only real newspaper Vol. 95 No. 1 Saturday, August 6, 1983 Price: 25' Narcotics Anonymous: Giving time, time Kdilor's note: The names in this story candle and the group pauses for a mo- Re-established in the late 1960s, the up and letting go. f he group's handbook Samuel, has been clean for three years have been changed upon request hy those refers to this as a "fearless moral inven- but had been an addict for 15. He was fill- interviewed. ment of silence "for those still addicted." group now boasts more than 50,000 "I had been doing every drug under I he Then, they recite a short prayer. members nationwide. There are approx- tory of ourselves." But lo an outsider this ed with denial. What started as ,a little sun excepl mainlining for (he longesi "Hi, I'm Karl and I'm an addict," says imately 3,000 members in New Jersey house cleaning looks more like the wring- drinking problem turned into a full-blown time," explains another addict. "I can't alone, and more than 70 in this area. ing out of one's heart lo dry. herion addiction. But always, foolishly, believe I'm ihe same person who walked ByJOKGAI.LO the person a.t the head of the table. "Hi, Karl," everyone answers back in Narcotics Anonymous borrows its pro- "When I first came here I didn't want he thought he had things under control. into this place two years ago. Now, I iry unison. gram from a similar one used by anything to do with anyone here. I "I always had reasons for using drugs. and help out other addicts especially the AREA—Judging from the group of Karl begins to read aloud a section Alcoholics Anonymous. Membership to thought I was that much better. But that I never made excuses. I was that kids. people milling about the Community from the Narcotics Anonymous hand- the group is open to anyone with "the was all a bunch of bull. What did I know? alienated," he said. House in Summit, you'd think a fraterni- book. When he is done the girl to his right honest desire to stop using." Members I was just an addict," explains another His story, as he claims himself, "is the "There arc a lot of kids coming here ty party was in progress. Everywhere begins almost immediately. follow 12 suggested principles to recovery group member. thing great copy is made of." It took the and Ihe people of .Summit art kind of there is the chatter of conversation. Peo- "Hi, I'm Connie and I'm an addict." that include three vital steps: trusting Afterwards, you know the therapy loss of his job, and his wife to finally open scared of us. It's such an affluent town ple laugh openly and hug each other like "Hi, Connie," the group answers God; cleaning house; and maintaining. works — you can see it. People's moods his eyes tp reality. that people say things like, 'My kids on old friends. The atmosphere is warm, again. "I woke up one morning in 1980, and I drugs? No, not my kids.' It can happen to open. But this is no party. The only hell Connie begins to read the next section, hadn't been lo work in like three weeks," anyone. What they don'i understand is these people are raising is in their souls. but halfway through it she begins to cry. he describes. "There was an empty pill thai this place saved my life." As the gavel sounds to announce the She tinkers on the verge of hysteria but "For us this is the hour that sets up the next 23..." bottle on the table next to my bed. My car heginning of that night's Narcotics she continues on, Finally, her emotions was outside collapsed under the snow. I Anonymous meeting the mood becomes overcome her and she stops. Around the never bothered to clean it. There was no deadly serious. More than 40 people take room there are tears in more than a few- heat in my apartment because I hadn't their places at the long table in the house's people's eyes. Throughout the meetings the addicts change almost the second they slop talk- paid the bill. My phone was unplugged. Narcotics Anonymous meels Tues. and meeting room — they are young and old, talk about themselves, their addictions, ing. It's as if one more brick has been Finally, I was just overcome with this Sal. at 8 p.m. in the Unitarian Church black and white, male and female. Most and their recoveries. The open floor for- lifted from the load they have placed on great feeling of despair. I had reached the Community House, 2 Waldron Ave., of them drink water and coffee from Narcotics Anonymous is a non-profit mat the group uses seems to represent a their backs. One member calls his crisis point. Summit. The group also meets Sun. at 2 white styroloam cups. Almost everyone, fellowship for people with a drug pro- confessional without the privacy, without recovery "a miracle." "Suddenly I realized that I wanted to p.m. it seems, has a cigarette in their hands. blem. The group meets regularly at sites the walls. "I'm gelling all the garbage out," he be off mood changing drugs. 1 had The room is hot, and although the win- around New Jersey in an effort to stay "For us this is the hour that sets up the said. "Thai's lite most important thing. enough. I had been through the mill." On Mon. the group meets ai Fair Oaks dows are wide open, there is no fresh air clean. It is an organization that deals with next 23. This is the major leagues here," I'm getting myself to laugh again. After spending 17 days in a hospital, Hospital, 19 Prospect St., Summit, in (he to be fell anywhere. Cigarette smoke recovery — not addiction. said one addict. "We know our disease, and we help Samuel was sent by a counselor to a Main Building coffee room at 8 p.m. hangs motionless like New England fog Started in 1953, Narcotics Anonymous Together, they travel the path toward each other. It's like one big family. What rehabilitation camp in the mountains Narcotic Anonymous also meets on over the room. People fan themselves dissolved in 1961 after coming under new lives. They laugh, they whisper, they we're about is recovery." where he was to spend the next three Thurs. at 7:30 p.m. in Fair Oaks with pieces of paper. heavy pressure from law enforcement cry, they plead, they search for answers, weeks. It was the closest, he claims, lo Hospital's Beacon House. As the meeting starts, someone lights a agencies. and most of all they confess by opening death he has ever come. For more information, call 659-6381. Colonial building John S. Tennant III waits for renewal dies at Overlook By PEG THURLER Shop owners with quarters near the SUMMIT—It began just a year ago this scene of the fire offered shelter for the week, on the afternoon of August 3, a pets that were evacuated from the Summit smoldering, smoky fire that started in the Pet House. However one cat named "Kil- after lengthy illness depths of the historic Colonial Building at ty" escaped from his cage and disap- 348-354 Springfield Ave. peared down Springfield Avenue in the direction of Waldron Ave. SUMMIT — John S. Tennant II, president of the National Legal Aid and The first alarm was sounded at 4:45 pm former General Counsel for U.S. Steel Defender Association, he served as chair- after Bill Flanagan of the Summit Pet The Herald ran a description of the Corp. from 1955 to 1971 and a partner of man of that organization's corporate gifts House reported smoke in a rear storage runaway. The cat's owner followed up on the New York law firm of White & Case. comniitlee from 1956 until 1969. He was room of the shop. Three hours later Fire a flood of "sightings" even offering a died July 30 at Overlook Hospital after a president of the International I egal Aid Director Bird reported the fire under con- reward. Then a homeowner on Waldron lengthy illness. Association and a member of ihe commit- trol with the help of 10 mutual aid com- Avenue noticed a tiger cat timidly coming Born in Saginaw, Mich, on Feb. 3, tee on legal aid and indigent defendants of mittees and more than 100 firefighters and going from her garage. She checked 1906, Mr. Tennant held both a bachelor the American Bar Association. He was from Summit and surrounding towns. Ihe description that appeared in the of arts degree and a juris doctor degree chairman of that association's section on Smoke and flames shot through the roof Herald and it matched. The owner was from the University of Michigan, as well corporation, banking and business law. of the 77-year-old brick building, gutting notified and the reward was donated to as an honorary doctor or laws degree He also served as chairman of the General the interior and severely damaging three the Summit Animal League by the finder. from the Central Michigan University. Counsels Associations for two years. shops on the first floor and a karate He was an editor of the Michigan Law Mr. Tennani was a member of the school on the upper floors.