​I have a great life! Beyond my wildest dreams, in fact.

Butt (I always spell it with two t's since it is a big BUTT) when I must transition from one routine to another or try something new or move in a new direction, I still go through a lot of foot dragging, internal "NO!!" screaming and other less-than-attractive behavior.

That's where my sponsor and my meetings really help me. Without fail, when I own the situation as tough and speak about it, it reduces the load. When I do not deny my issue butt share on it, it is easier to cope.  Even when I don't want to feel the way I feel and I am embarrassed that I feel the way I feel, if I can share on it, it gets better.

I say to myself and my sponsees that I don't believe HONESTY takes me anywhere I shouldn't go. Of course, that is my truth about ME not anything I may want to think is true about you! 

So my experience is that working the 12 Steps of OA helps me see what's true more and more clearly. My OA fellows and HP help me see my way through.

Thank you. I could not do this alone.

Aloha,
Pat O'C

As we hear more and more about the corona virus from various sources, here are some ideas that you may want to bring to your face to face meetings to keep attendees healthy:

• it would be a good idea to wipe down the table area where you sit and the hard surface contact areas on your chair before and after your meeting. 
• It would be prudent to maintain a "social distance" of 3 feet from others if possible. 
• Do not hug or hold hands. Send support with a smile and a friendly hello!
• Place tissues and hand sanitizer on the table in your meeting room.
• Do not attend a face to face meeting if you feel unwell. Plan on meeting virtually until you feel fine. Use www.oa.org to find virtual meetings taking place almost around the clock every day of the week.
• If you cough or sneeze do so into your elbow or in a tissue. Take any tissues you use with you. 
• Wipe down book covers after use and do not send books around to be read. Let one person be the reader or those who bring their own copies share the reading.
• Use your own pen to sign in, not a pass-around pen. 
• Masks work to keep a sick person from spreading their droplets. They do little to nothing, in informal contact, to protect from getting the virus. 
  
  

The outbreak is an event in motion. That means that the recommendations about meeting in groups may change depending on your community's situation.

Remember in the Big Book it says we do not panic. "..we pause when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action."  This trying situation gives us all a chance to try to be kind and caring: in the grocery store, in meetings, with our families. Fear can take us places we don't want to go. Trust can get us through.
 
Aloha,
Pat O’C - Region 1 Trustee