My Experience At An AA Meeting.

I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. The meeting I attended was on a Monday night at 8:00pm and it was an open lead meeting. It was a very interesting experience for me. I have never been to an AA meeting, so I really didn't know what to expect. When I got there everyone was really friendly and I explained that I was just there to observe because I was interested in AA. A guy reading the mission of AA started the meeting and then a different man read the 12 steps that an alcoholic follows to gain sobriety. Then the lead was introduced and she had everyone go around the room and say their name. When everyone said their name they would say, "My name is "¦.. and I am an alcoholic." The lady giving the lead told about how she started drinking and the various experiences that she went through while drinking. Some of the things she talked about sounded really rough. It was surprising to me that someone could stand up there and tell their life story and all the awful things they had done. After she talked about her alcoholism, she then began to discuss how she became sober and how great it feels to have her sobriety. After the lead, the group leader came up and read announcements. Then a collection basket was passed around, and everyone put some donation into the basket. Then the group leader asked for everyone to hold hands and say the "Our Father" prayer. After the prayer, the meeting was over with. There were some brochures at the front of the room about addiction and AA. I thought that having brochures was a great way for people to get information. It was a great experience for me and I really learned a lot about the struggles a person with an addiction goes through.