There are so many clever ways in AA to tell you to listen: “Take the cotton wool out of your lugs and put it in your mouth”, a phrase I’ve heard so often over the years and easy to understand. Another one: “You’ve two ears and one mouth for a reason” - remember to use them in that ratio.
At my very first meeting I was told to just listen. “Listen to the similarities not the differences” was the advice and I
remember at some point in that first meeting, I stopped listening to the differences and started to tune into the things I could relate to - the things I could identify with. Hearing those things helped me feel I was in the right place and I should maybe come back. I was also struck by how honest and open people were at meetings when I first started coming, I’d never experienced anything like it before and it encouraged me to be honest too.
I learnt to listen in AA. I always feel better after a meeting and sharing where I am at with my day or week but what I really benefit from is listening to all of the other people in that meeting share for themselves. I will always be able to identify and take something from each person as the meeting goes round. Listening is key and letting other people speak without interruption.
Cath W
Editor, [email protected]
Contents
1 Preamble
2 Subcommittee Noticeboard
3 Editorial
4 Learning To Listen
5 Learning To Listen - Not My Specialist...
6 AA One Liners and Wordsearch
7 Another Plea
8 Three Indispensable Things
10 Less Selfish, More Service
11 2024 Roundabout Themes
12 Thanks For Dropping By
14 Shifting Perspective The AA Way
15 Out And About With Roundabout
16 Articles and Photos
i-iv Events and Group Changes
17 Intergroup And Region
18 The Roundabout Interview
21 Wordsearch Answers
22 Making Sober Memories
24 AA Diary and Calendar 2025
25 Subscription Form
26 Extracts From AA Literature
30 Grapevine Share
32 The Twelve Concepts
33 The Twelve Traditions
