Stay Involved

My name is Drummer Jim and I'm a member of the Rose Street, Monday morning group. I'm also a member of the Loners Internationalists Meetings-USA (LIM-USA) and Loners Internationalist Meetings--Australia (LIM-Australia). It's great to be alive, sober and a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. What a place to be and my best day has yet to come.

With this month's issue of Roundabout I was sent a reminder to renew my yearly subscription. That set me thinking that in all my years of sobriety I've never been without Roundabout, at any time. I was told when I came through the doors that it was another tool on the table to aid my sobriety. It worked!

I ended up Roundabout representative in my first and second groups, which I loved. My sponsor told me I should take on the Roundabout Liaison Officer job at intergroup, which I did. He also made me a folding board full of Roundabout material and I took it round to one day conventions. This was all good stuff because there were so many people who knew nothing about Roundabout and I felt it was my job to "pass the word". I'm glad I did because when I finished my three year tenure it made me so aware of how powerful the written word can be, especially for people who didn't have access to AA meetings.

This made me want to do something about that. My Higher Power answered my prayers: along came two sisters from Croy who introduced me to the LIM-USA which is run by the General Service Office (GSO) in New York. I wrote to them and was accepted as a Loner Sponsor. It was my duty to write to other LIMers and home-bound people who didn't have access to meetings and share the group with them. What an experience that is.

I write about 10 to 15 letters a week and have been doing this for 23 years and it's been utterly, unbelievably good. I write to about 18 'regulars' plus at least one other new member every other week. They are people I've never even met and yet I've been corresponding with them for over 20 years! The rewards I get from this are 10 times what I give out. Early doors my sponsor told me to keep being involved with other alkies. I write to an alcoholic every day and let me tell you it works.

Last year one of my LIM pals from California who I'd been writing to for 22 years died. A couple of days later I received a sympathy card from his daughter. She also included an old plastic photo frame with the Serenity prayer on it saying that her dad had left instructions that I was to get this. I can tell you I cried. What a joy I got from that. Every Monday morning at Rose Street it's placed on the top table and it just reminds me every week what a wonderful life we have. For me, without a doubt, LIM has been and continues to be the anchor of my sobriety. So, if you feel like helping people who can't get to meetings give it a bash. I don't think you will ever regret it.

I thank the Roundabout team who make sure we get our Scottish magazine every month. The editorial team work hard so I think we should all purchase this magazine to keep it going. I've read five or six different magazines from different countries. Roundabout is the best by far so come on folks, buy the magazine. £12 for a year's supply of sobriety. It's a no brainer. Again I thank the Editorial team. Power to your elbow. Bye for now. Take care and God bless.

Yours in love, friendship and Fellowship

Drummer Jim

Rose Street Monday Morning