Roundabout January 2024

For some, the start of a new year can signal making changes in life and sometimes starting afresh. With this in mind we start our year with the theme of Step One.

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Some of our articles this month focus on those first few experiences in AA, the reasons for coming back and importance of taking it easy and being kind to yourself. I remember my first meeting really clearly and the feeling of ‘hope’ I left with, knowing I had found something that felt like it might help - this ensured I came back for another week and kept coming back. I also remember the first time I properly heard Step One. I grasped the ‘powerless’ part pretty quick, but it took me ages to hear the ‘unmanageable’ bit and once I did, I couldn’t escape it!

Life can still be unmanageable, but I know it would be an awful lot worse without AA and the Programme. Sometimes it helps to just remember and acknowledge Step One and the 24 hours ahead of me.

Cath W
Editor, roundabout@aamail.org

Our next few themes for 2024 are:
February - The Family Afterwards
March - Steps Two And Three
April - Sobriety During Illness
Please remember though you do not need to stick to these themes for your articles - but some do find they help.

Contents

1 Preamble
2 Subcommittee Noticeboard
3 Editorial
4 I Kept Coming Back
6 AA One Liners
6 It Never Occured To Me
7 Out And About With Roundabout
8 The Calm After The Storm
10 The Dark Night Of The Soul
12 All Ireland Young People In AA Convention
13 Relationships Before And After AA
15 2024 Fellowship Diaries & Calendars
16 67th Scottish Convention
i Conventions And Gatherings
ii-iv Group Information
17 The Roundabout Interview
19 New Beginnings
21 Alcoholically Compelled
22 AA History Corner
25 Subscription Form
26 Extracts From AA Literature
28 Easy Does It
29 The Magnificent Obsession
30 Assistant Editor Vacancy
31 The Twelve Concepts Of World Service
32 The Twelve Traditions