February, 2020 Volume 51, Issue 2 Experience, Strength, and Hope in Orange County Think It Through In early sobriety, plagued by drunk dreams away from the program of Alcoholics Anon- and not handling the stresses of being so- ymous. ber well, fantasy often filled the space be- tween my ears. This happened especially Thinking things through and considering the when watching the beautiful people enjoy- results has saved those around me—and ing beer, wine, or hard booze in those TV myself—a lot of hurt feelings and grief over commercials. Not really wanting to drink the years. But more importantly, it has al- again, I shared this at the local meeting. My lowed me to utilize the tools available sponsor’s sponsor caught me after the through the program and to keep my side of meeting and told me to start thinking these the street clean, for the most part. fantasies through. It was not a pretty pic- ture! Each night during the last year of Learning not to act until after taking a Tenth drinking, whether I drank three or ten Step was important. Having taken a Tenth beers, at 2AM I would have my head in the Step, the reason for my anger/resentment toilet. was always illuminated; it was usually something going on with Continued on page 14 I was so sick that I thought my insides were coming out. So every time the fantasy came, that picture came into my head. When the craving for alcohol was lifted, those fantasies pretty much stopped. Inside This Issue Yet the stresses of dealing with life on life’s terms were quite sig- Think It Through 1, 14 nificant for me. Being of a somewhat aggressive nature, anger and Service Board Information 2 retaliation is the go-to mode when things do not go my way. Once Events 3 again the “think it through” advice came into play. What would the Our Principles 4 results be of acting on my impulses? That picture of me in the bath- Central Office Activity/Web Stats 6 room, head stuck in the toilet, popped into my head. Perhaps not Our Own Concept of a Higher Power 8 immediately, but over time, indulging my impulses would take me Cartoon 9 Super Bowl Sunday 9 The Seed from Which Alcoholics Arose 10 Thinking things through and considering the results Red Lipstick and Flip-Flops 11 has saved those around me—and myself—a lot of Who Am I to Judge Another? 11 hurt feelings and grief over the years. But more December Donations 12, 14 Speaker Meetings 13 importantly, it has allowed me to utilize the tools We Recovered 15 available through the program and to keep my side Statement of Income and Expense 15 of the street clean, for the most part. Word Search 16 February, 2020 Volume 51, Issue 2 Welcome 2020 Who? What? When? SERVICE BOARD Where? Chair, Stacey A. [email protected] Public Information Committee: Purpose: The Lifeline Committee is a Meets the 4th Wednesday of the month group of AA members charged with the Vice Chair, Glen R. at 7:00PM, Central Offiice, 1526 Brookhollow, Suite 75, Santa Ana responsibility of producing and distrib- [email protected] uting the Orange County Lifeline. The [email protected] Group Relations Committee: Meets Lifeline is published monthly and is the 2nd Wednesday of the month at supported solely through contributions Treasurer, John R. 6:30PM, the Costa Mesa Senior Center, from the AA groups and members of [email protected] 695 West 19th St. (30 minutes before the Intergroup meeting) Orange County. The Lifeline proposes to meet the following needs of the Secretary, Lance S. Lifeline Committee: Meets the 1st Orange County AA membership: to [email protected] Thursday of the month at 7:00PM, Cen- inform AAs of service opportunities, tral Office, 1526 Brookhollow, Suite 75, events, and announcements; to share Santa Ana Central Office, Rosie G. experience in recovery, unity, and ser- [email protected] Special Events Committee: meets vice; and to report the actions, financ- the 2nd Wednesday of the month at es, and meetings of the Orange County Group Relations, Chelsea P. 6:00PM, the Costa Mesa Senior Center, Intergroup Association and other Cen- 695 West 19th St. (1 hour before the In- [email protected] tergroup meeting) tral Office committees. Lifeline, Chris R. South Orange County H & I meets Lifeline Editor: Jennifer J. [email protected] the 3rd Wednesday of the month at [email protected] 7:00PM (new members’ orientation) and 7:45PM (business meeting), Laguna Public Information, Marti H. Beach Canyon Club, 20456 Laguna Can- ORANGE COUNTY [email protected] yon Road, Laguna Beach CENTRAL OFFICE PublicInformationCommittee@oc- 1526 Brookhollow, Suite 75 aa.org Orange County H & I meets the 2nd Sunday of the month at 4:00PM and Santa Ana, CA 92705 Phone: (714) 556-4555 6:00PM, Garden Grove Alano Club, Special Events, Melissa A. 9845 Belfast Drive, Garden Grove Fax: (714) 556-7231 SpecialEventsOCAAIntergroup (Orientations for institutions is at E-mail: [email protected] @gmail.com Website: www.oc-aa.org 3:15PM, followed by the Institutions meeting at 4:00PM, Hospitals orienta- Office hours: Mon-Fri: 9AM-7PM; tion starts at 5:15PM, followed by the Saturday & Holidays: 9AM-1PM Hospitals & Institutions, Tara E.& Hospitals meeting at 6:00—One year of Michelle R. sobriety required.) SOUTH COUNTY OFFICE H&[email protected] The Orange County Intergroup As- 30011 Ivy Glenn Drive, soc. Meets the 2nd Wednesday each Suite 104 month at 7:00PM, Costa Mesa Senior Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 Center, 695 W. 19th Street, Costa Mesa Phone: (949) 582-2697 Fax: (949) 582-2611 For more information on any of the E-mail: [email protected] above committees, please contact Office hours: Mon-Fri: 10AM-5PM Orange County Central office at (714) 556-4555. For information about General Service, please go to the Area 9 website, www.msca09aa.org. Thank you to our board and committee members. 2 February, 2020 Volume 51, Issue 2 CLASSIFIEDS Central Office help: Answer calls, build newcomer packets, sell literature, enjoy talking to other alcoholics. We will train you. Shifts available at both offices. Santa Ana (714) 556-4555, starting at 9AM. Laguna Niguel (949) 582-2697, starting at 10AM. Usually 3 hour shifts 2 years of sobriety desired March 6 - 8 April 10-12 th 53rd Pacific Regional Alcoholics 35 Annual OCAAC Convention Anonymous Service Assembly Hilton Orange County Call forwarding for PRAASA 2020 3050 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, CA Central Office: Westin La Paloma Resort www.ocaac.org Please call (714) 556-4555 (Santa Ana) or 3800 E. Sunrise Drive (949) 582-2697 (Laguna Niguel) Tucson, Arizona 85718 June 11-14 www.praasa.org AA Desert Pow Wow Renaissance Esmerelda Resort & Spa Lifeline Committee members: April 3-5 44400 Indian Wells Ln. Committee members can help read, write, edit, There Is a Solution: 39th Annual Indian Wells, CA create, design or simply offer suggestions for the Southern Calirornia Hosptials & www.desertpowwow.com Lifeline. The Lifeline Committee meets on the first Institutions Conference Thursday of the month at Central Office (1526 Holiday Inn July 2 - 5 14299 Firestone Blvd. Brookhollow Dr., Ste. 75, Santa Ana). 2020 International Convention of AA La Mirada Love and Tolerance Is Our Code Flyer, p. 7, www.socalhandi.org If you’d like to submit an article, poem, or cartoon to Detroit, Michigan be considered for publication, please send all submis- Registration at www.aa.org sions to the email address below by the 15th of the April 9-12 month for the following month (e.g., August 15th for San Diego Spring Round Up the September issue). The best articles are under 600 Town and Country Resort Hotel words and are usually much shorter. If you are un- 500 Hotel Circle North San Diego, CA sure of what to write, you can think of a great share www.sandiegospringroundup.com at your favorite meeting. You can write on a topic like how you chose your sponsor, your concept of a If you would like your event listed in the Lifeline, please send Higher Power, or tell your story. Not a writer? A com- information to mittee member can interview you and write your sto- [email protected] or ry. You will have final approval on anything pub- [email protected] (preferred) by the 15th of the month. lished. Please email [email protected] for more information. Come to Orange County’s first Vietnamese language meeting! Saturday at 10AM (open) 16581 Brookhurst St. @Heil/ Warner (across from Mile Square Park) Fountain Valley 3 February, 2020 Volume 51, Issue 2 Our Principles Step Two: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves tinue to be consumed by self-pity over change. The “elder states- could restore us to sanity. men” become the real and permanent leadership in AA. Their quiet opinions, sure knowledge, and humble examples resolve We alcoholics tend to stumble a bit with this Step. First, we strug- crisis when it arises. They do not control by mandate; they lead gle in believing that our thinking and behavior might be insane. by example. This experience has led to the conclusion that our Second, we have a hard time believing a Power greater than our- group conscience, well advised by its elders, will be in the long selves could restore us to sanity. As stated in Chapter Three of the run wiser than any single leader. Big Book, “No person likes to think he is bodily and mentally differ- ent than his fellows.” Time in sobriety does often lead us to ac- Concept II: When, in 1955, the AA groups confirmed the perma- ceptance in these areas.