dalin
02-20-2008, 04:56 PM
Chapter One
SAN FRANCISCO WORLD CONVENTION
"Who's working on the book?", asked the man with the Southern accent. The time 1977. The place was San Francisco. The occasion was the Seventh World Convention of Narcotics Anonymous.
He was told to go to the registration desk.
At the desk, he asked his question again. He had come a long way from Georgia and this was not the first time he had asked this question. He was getting used to being told to go see different people. No one seemed to know any specifics.
The book he was asking about was a text to serve the needs of members of Narcotics Anonymous. Talk of a text had been going on for some time from what he was able to find out. Among themselves, members said there was a work going on somewhere but no one had any details. It was also said that addicts in recovery could not write.
He himself had repeated this often enough to begin to question the statement. What did it mean? Was it that they had never tried or that they were never successful. Surely there were a few members who made their living in the writing professions. He had to find out.
He walked up to the registration table set against a wall across from the escalator on the second floor. There were several people seated behind the table waiting on a few people signing up for the convention. There were also a few men and women standing around talking.
He asked his question one more time. The older man sitting behind the desk looked up at him and cocked his head. He seemed to be sizing up the man asking the question as much as the Southern accent. Finally, he said, "I don't know but ask these guys here." He called to one of the men near table.
A tall thin man wearing a sports jacket and old fashioned narrow tie stepped up. The man behind the table pointed to the man with the question. He threw out his hand. "My name is Jack W. Can I help you?"
"Bo S. I'm from Atlanta. I was wondering if you knew anything about the work being done on our Basic Text. I've heard some work is being done but I don't seem to be able to find out any details."
"There is something being done. I don't know that many details myself. I'll see if I can get some one to help you. Is this your first convention?" asked Jack.
"First N.A. convention. N.A. is growing pretty good back home and I came out here to learn more about N.A."
"Do you have family here?"
"Naw. I came for the convention."
"Hey, Jimmy. Here's a guy that came all the way from Atlanta for the Convention." Jack called to an older gentleman nearby.
Jimmy made a closing comment to the young lady he was talking to and came over to Jack and Bo.
"Hi there, my name's Jimmy. What's yours?"
"Bo."
"He was asking about what work is being done on our Book. I thought you might be able to help him." said Jack.
"Might be, just might be. Are you one of the members who has been writing the Office? I handle a lot of the correspondence."
"Sure. You and I have swapped some letters. I'm the Atlanta Lit Chair. I'm here for the convention but I want to know more about the Fellowship too. Who is working on our book?"
"Why do you want to know?" asked Jimmy.
"Well, the program is growing back home a lot of us are wondering about how N.A. is going out west here. We have a lot of questions. The book seems the main thing every body is asking about." replied Bo.
"Just a minute. There's someone here who can help you. I want you to meet somebody. Greg! Could you give us a minute here?"
A very husky guy with an open and friendly western look looked up in acknowledgement and came over to the group. He had a beautiful turquoise stone mounted as a slide on a string tie with one of those shirts with the western cuts in it and snaps instead of buttons.
He looked at Jack and Jimmy and then to the man he didn't know yet.
"My names Greg. What's up?"
"He's asking about the Book, Greg and we thought you might want to talk to him." ventured Jack.
By this time, Bo had the feeling he was making progress but the exact status of the book was still a mystery.
Greg said, "Well, there's been some work done. What would you like to know?"
Bo asked, "How far along is it. We had heard that there was work being done but nobody seems to know any details. I've been writing Jimmy for the last few years. I can't believe I've finally met him!"
Greg took over the conversation and Jack and Jimmy moved away from the two to talk with other members standing around and coming up to the tables to register. There was a lot of hugs and how are you's. A swirl of talk with breaks of laughter. These people knew each other and were glad to be together again.
"I sent in my story last July. Did you see it at the Office?" asked Bo.
"I'm not sure. I believe I would remember it. I help out there now and then. Tell me more about N.A. in Atlanta."
"Well, we've got seven meetings a week now. Bunches of newcomers. They ask a lot of questions and some are hard to answer. Look, a lot of us know N.A. is for real, it's just we want to know more about the Fellowship, where the meetings started, all that."
Greg looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "N.A. as we know it started in California. A lot of us believe that something like N.A. started many times. N.A. is the natural outgrowth of A.A."
"Is there anybody working on our Book?"
"There's been some work done. It's been a dream for a long time."
"I've been talking with a lot of members in the East and we want to help with it. If N.A. started in California twenty four years ago, surely there's been some work done. We haven't heard anything definite."
Bo wondered while all this talk was going on if his story had been received. These members were nice but why the run around about his story? Did the Office receive so many stories that his had gotten lost?
"I have some material up in my room I can show you later on. It's hard. A lot of people believe addicts in recovery can't write."
"I've heard that. Does it mean they haven't tried or that they have failed?"
"Mostly, they haven't tried."
"That's one reason I came out here. I'm suspicious that while I may not know much about recovery now, I only have three years clean, when I have ten or fifteen, I won't feel like I do now." said Bo.
"That happens. The little White Book came out in 1963 or so. It was put together by members who had been clean that long, most of them. Almost all of the pamphlets are drawn from it."
"Look, this is awkward for me. I don't want to put you guys on the spot. We've got a ton of newcomers back home and they all ask these basic questions. I don't know the answers. Is there some place we can go and talk about this?"
Greg agreed and they went downstairs to the coffee shop. The halls and escalator were filled with clean addicts. Some of them didn't look like members to Bo. They didn't have that friendly, open look about them - like you could walk up to them and give them a hug. Greg asked about Bo and Bo told him about how he got to the program. He talked about his wife and baby. They talked about the meetings back home and the meetings in Los Angeles. Along the way, Greg would stop and say hello to different people out of the crowds they passed.
At the booth in the coffee shop, they continued their talking.
"How about a plan? Is there a plan for the Book? I'm sorry if I keep asking the same question but I really want to know."
"I hate to give indirect answers. Have you ever heard of the World Service Conference?"
"Yea. It's in the N.A. Tree. Representative body."
"That's it. It was supposed to meet here today and only one delegate showed up and they were from Northern California."
"Showed up from where? You mean all over or just California?"
"No. I mean from all over."
"That's what I mean. Where are the meetings, what's the service structure really like? I've read the Tree but it says at the end that the structure doesn't really exist yet."
"It means we are very young and that a lot of things just haven't gotten done yet."
"Who is working on the Book. Can just anyone?"
"Sure, as long as they are members." said Greg. "What we have right now is a little material that has drifted in over the years."
"How much? Ten pages, a hundred, more..."
"I'm not sure of the exact amount. The material up in my room is about twenty pages on the Steps."
"See my problem? We're not trying to be critical but there has to be a work going on. If there's not, we have to get one started. I mean we could get with oldtimers and write down what they said, couldn't we? I had a friend come out here earlier in the year and he said the same thing you're telling me. I have written some simple stuff myself. A topic outline, some simple notes."
Greg took a deep breath. They ordered coffee. He sat back in the booth and looked across the table at Bo.
Bo said, "Look, I've read all the A.A. history. I know they got their Book in their early days. I know A.A.'s bigger than we are but there is a world full of addicts out there dying for N.A. I know there are a lot of ego trips that go with these things. If there's not anyone working on it, just tell me and we'll go from there. I didn't come all the way from Georgia to go back home without some answers."
Greg took another deep breath and started, "The Board of Trustees has been trying to get something started for years now. We even sent out a letter from the World Service Office stating that work was going on and asking for input. Nothing came in. We're not giving up hope but it's going to happen in God's time."
"Material has been coming in over the years," Greg continued, "but it's mostly poems and general statements. Not much to work up a Book from really. Let's walk around a little. We can go up to the Hospitality Room."
They stopped off on the second floor and went into some of the workshops. One of the rooms had a small workshop in the rear with tables up front. A young lady came up to Greg and asked about visiting the WSO in Los Angeles in November. She said she had some time off from work and wanted to donate some of her vacation time as a volunteer at the Office. Greg took time with her and they all sat at one of the tables. Bo sat by and lis- tened. In the course of things, he realized that Greg was the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
The girl was real definite about wanting to schedule her trip and asked for dates when she could come in to help. Greg told her that she needed to call the Office and set up a time. He said that most of the work was being done and that he wasn't sure they could use her on a temporary basis. After an hour or so of this, they went up to Greg's room.
It was interesting to Bo that after they had met, that they had stayed together. He had expected to be sent to see someone else again. Going to Greg's room meant he might see the material and find out more of what he wanted to know.
In the room, Bo was introduced to Lois, Greg's wife. She was a young dark haired woman with a quick smile and an outgoing personality. Very charming.
They sat down on the bed. Greg picked up a heavy black bag full of papers. It looked real official. After digging through it for a while, he pulled out a group of pages and handed them to Bo.
"This is the material from George S. It only goes through Step Ten."
Bo took the papers and thanked Greg. He took his time and read the material. His eyes started scanning back and forth rapidly and he finished the first page, and then the second. He continued this way through all the material. He never took speed reading but with material like this it came naturally.
When he finished, he looked up and said, "Thanks. This is good stuff. Nothing in A.A. reads like it. Especially the part about, "...would it be insane to buy your death on the installment plan, like we do the dope!"
Greg laughed and looked relieved. He really liked this guy a lot. It was hard for him to lay it all out on the line but he liked him. It had been the most interest displayed by a member about the literature in quite a while. More was to come.
They spent several hours talking and going into details that have to do with knowing many members from various states. N.A. was growing at last. More meetings had been started in the last five years than at any time in N.A.'s difficult history.
While N.A. started in the early fifties, there were only twenty known meetings in the world in 1970. Now, in 1977 there were almost three hundred.
It got late and instead of just saying good night, Greg invited Bo to visit him in Los Angeles. He said he could stay a few days and visit the WSO. They could also attend one of the oldest meetings in the world.
Bo thanked him but said his flight left Sunday night and he had to get back to work Monday. The said good night and he wandered off to his room through the halls of the Jack Tar Hotel.
There were still addicts everywhere. They looked friendlier now. They were talking and would look up to see if they knew you as you passed. Now Bo felt like he knew them all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO WORLD CONVENTION
"Who's working on the book?", asked the man with the Southern accent. The time 1977. The place was San Francisco. The occasion was the Seventh World Convention of Narcotics Anonymous.
He was told to go to the registration desk.
At the desk, he asked his question again. He had come a long way from Georgia and this was not the first time he had asked this question. He was getting used to being told to go see different people. No one seemed to know any specifics.
The book he was asking about was a text to serve the needs of members of Narcotics Anonymous. Talk of a text had been going on for some time from what he was able to find out. Among themselves, members said there was a work going on somewhere but no one had any details. It was also said that addicts in recovery could not write.
He himself had repeated this often enough to begin to question the statement. What did it mean? Was it that they had never tried or that they were never successful. Surely there were a few members who made their living in the writing professions. He had to find out.
He walked up to the registration table set against a wall across from the escalator on the second floor. There were several people seated behind the table waiting on a few people signing up for the convention. There were also a few men and women standing around talking.
He asked his question one more time. The older man sitting behind the desk looked up at him and cocked his head. He seemed to be sizing up the man asking the question as much as the Southern accent. Finally, he said, "I don't know but ask these guys here." He called to one of the men near table.
A tall thin man wearing a sports jacket and old fashioned narrow tie stepped up. The man behind the table pointed to the man with the question. He threw out his hand. "My name is Jack W. Can I help you?"
"Bo S. I'm from Atlanta. I was wondering if you knew anything about the work being done on our Basic Text. I've heard some work is being done but I don't seem to be able to find out any details."
"There is something being done. I don't know that many details myself. I'll see if I can get some one to help you. Is this your first convention?" asked Jack.
"First N.A. convention. N.A. is growing pretty good back home and I came out here to learn more about N.A."
"Do you have family here?"
"Naw. I came for the convention."
"Hey, Jimmy. Here's a guy that came all the way from Atlanta for the Convention." Jack called to an older gentleman nearby.
Jimmy made a closing comment to the young lady he was talking to and came over to Jack and Bo.
"Hi there, my name's Jimmy. What's yours?"
"Bo."
"He was asking about what work is being done on our Book. I thought you might be able to help him." said Jack.
"Might be, just might be. Are you one of the members who has been writing the Office? I handle a lot of the correspondence."
"Sure. You and I have swapped some letters. I'm the Atlanta Lit Chair. I'm here for the convention but I want to know more about the Fellowship too. Who is working on our book?"
"Why do you want to know?" asked Jimmy.
"Well, the program is growing back home a lot of us are wondering about how N.A. is going out west here. We have a lot of questions. The book seems the main thing every body is asking about." replied Bo.
"Just a minute. There's someone here who can help you. I want you to meet somebody. Greg! Could you give us a minute here?"
A very husky guy with an open and friendly western look looked up in acknowledgement and came over to the group. He had a beautiful turquoise stone mounted as a slide on a string tie with one of those shirts with the western cuts in it and snaps instead of buttons.
He looked at Jack and Jimmy and then to the man he didn't know yet.
"My names Greg. What's up?"
"He's asking about the Book, Greg and we thought you might want to talk to him." ventured Jack.
By this time, Bo had the feeling he was making progress but the exact status of the book was still a mystery.
Greg said, "Well, there's been some work done. What would you like to know?"
Bo asked, "How far along is it. We had heard that there was work being done but nobody seems to know any details. I've been writing Jimmy for the last few years. I can't believe I've finally met him!"
Greg took over the conversation and Jack and Jimmy moved away from the two to talk with other members standing around and coming up to the tables to register. There was a lot of hugs and how are you's. A swirl of talk with breaks of laughter. These people knew each other and were glad to be together again.
"I sent in my story last July. Did you see it at the Office?" asked Bo.
"I'm not sure. I believe I would remember it. I help out there now and then. Tell me more about N.A. in Atlanta."
"Well, we've got seven meetings a week now. Bunches of newcomers. They ask a lot of questions and some are hard to answer. Look, a lot of us know N.A. is for real, it's just we want to know more about the Fellowship, where the meetings started, all that."
Greg looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "N.A. as we know it started in California. A lot of us believe that something like N.A. started many times. N.A. is the natural outgrowth of A.A."
"Is there anybody working on our Book?"
"There's been some work done. It's been a dream for a long time."
"I've been talking with a lot of members in the East and we want to help with it. If N.A. started in California twenty four years ago, surely there's been some work done. We haven't heard anything definite."
Bo wondered while all this talk was going on if his story had been received. These members were nice but why the run around about his story? Did the Office receive so many stories that his had gotten lost?
"I have some material up in my room I can show you later on. It's hard. A lot of people believe addicts in recovery can't write."
"I've heard that. Does it mean they haven't tried or that they have failed?"
"Mostly, they haven't tried."
"That's one reason I came out here. I'm suspicious that while I may not know much about recovery now, I only have three years clean, when I have ten or fifteen, I won't feel like I do now." said Bo.
"That happens. The little White Book came out in 1963 or so. It was put together by members who had been clean that long, most of them. Almost all of the pamphlets are drawn from it."
"Look, this is awkward for me. I don't want to put you guys on the spot. We've got a ton of newcomers back home and they all ask these basic questions. I don't know the answers. Is there some place we can go and talk about this?"
Greg agreed and they went downstairs to the coffee shop. The halls and escalator were filled with clean addicts. Some of them didn't look like members to Bo. They didn't have that friendly, open look about them - like you could walk up to them and give them a hug. Greg asked about Bo and Bo told him about how he got to the program. He talked about his wife and baby. They talked about the meetings back home and the meetings in Los Angeles. Along the way, Greg would stop and say hello to different people out of the crowds they passed.
At the booth in the coffee shop, they continued their talking.
"How about a plan? Is there a plan for the Book? I'm sorry if I keep asking the same question but I really want to know."
"I hate to give indirect answers. Have you ever heard of the World Service Conference?"
"Yea. It's in the N.A. Tree. Representative body."
"That's it. It was supposed to meet here today and only one delegate showed up and they were from Northern California."
"Showed up from where? You mean all over or just California?"
"No. I mean from all over."
"That's what I mean. Where are the meetings, what's the service structure really like? I've read the Tree but it says at the end that the structure doesn't really exist yet."
"It means we are very young and that a lot of things just haven't gotten done yet."
"Who is working on the Book. Can just anyone?"
"Sure, as long as they are members." said Greg. "What we have right now is a little material that has drifted in over the years."
"How much? Ten pages, a hundred, more..."
"I'm not sure of the exact amount. The material up in my room is about twenty pages on the Steps."
"See my problem? We're not trying to be critical but there has to be a work going on. If there's not, we have to get one started. I mean we could get with oldtimers and write down what they said, couldn't we? I had a friend come out here earlier in the year and he said the same thing you're telling me. I have written some simple stuff myself. A topic outline, some simple notes."
Greg took a deep breath. They ordered coffee. He sat back in the booth and looked across the table at Bo.
Bo said, "Look, I've read all the A.A. history. I know they got their Book in their early days. I know A.A.'s bigger than we are but there is a world full of addicts out there dying for N.A. I know there are a lot of ego trips that go with these things. If there's not anyone working on it, just tell me and we'll go from there. I didn't come all the way from Georgia to go back home without some answers."
Greg took another deep breath and started, "The Board of Trustees has been trying to get something started for years now. We even sent out a letter from the World Service Office stating that work was going on and asking for input. Nothing came in. We're not giving up hope but it's going to happen in God's time."
"Material has been coming in over the years," Greg continued, "but it's mostly poems and general statements. Not much to work up a Book from really. Let's walk around a little. We can go up to the Hospitality Room."
They stopped off on the second floor and went into some of the workshops. One of the rooms had a small workshop in the rear with tables up front. A young lady came up to Greg and asked about visiting the WSO in Los Angeles in November. She said she had some time off from work and wanted to donate some of her vacation time as a volunteer at the Office. Greg took time with her and they all sat at one of the tables. Bo sat by and lis- tened. In the course of things, he realized that Greg was the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
The girl was real definite about wanting to schedule her trip and asked for dates when she could come in to help. Greg told her that she needed to call the Office and set up a time. He said that most of the work was being done and that he wasn't sure they could use her on a temporary basis. After an hour or so of this, they went up to Greg's room.
It was interesting to Bo that after they had met, that they had stayed together. He had expected to be sent to see someone else again. Going to Greg's room meant he might see the material and find out more of what he wanted to know.
In the room, Bo was introduced to Lois, Greg's wife. She was a young dark haired woman with a quick smile and an outgoing personality. Very charming.
They sat down on the bed. Greg picked up a heavy black bag full of papers. It looked real official. After digging through it for a while, he pulled out a group of pages and handed them to Bo.
"This is the material from George S. It only goes through Step Ten."
Bo took the papers and thanked Greg. He took his time and read the material. His eyes started scanning back and forth rapidly and he finished the first page, and then the second. He continued this way through all the material. He never took speed reading but with material like this it came naturally.
When he finished, he looked up and said, "Thanks. This is good stuff. Nothing in A.A. reads like it. Especially the part about, "...would it be insane to buy your death on the installment plan, like we do the dope!"
Greg laughed and looked relieved. He really liked this guy a lot. It was hard for him to lay it all out on the line but he liked him. It had been the most interest displayed by a member about the literature in quite a while. More was to come.
They spent several hours talking and going into details that have to do with knowing many members from various states. N.A. was growing at last. More meetings had been started in the last five years than at any time in N.A.'s difficult history.
While N.A. started in the early fifties, there were only twenty known meetings in the world in 1970. Now, in 1977 there were almost three hundred.
It got late and instead of just saying good night, Greg invited Bo to visit him in Los Angeles. He said he could stay a few days and visit the WSO. They could also attend one of the oldest meetings in the world.
Bo thanked him but said his flight left Sunday night and he had to get back to work Monday. The said good night and he wandered off to his room through the halls of the Jack Tar Hotel.
There were still addicts everywhere. They looked friendlier now. They were talking and would look up to see if they knew you as you passed. Now Bo felt like he knew them all.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------