I was in a CA meeting years ago, a big one, more than 75 people. I kept to myself in meetings for the most part. People recognized me and I talked some but not all the time.
A lot of those people were hardcore: many had been in jail or prison, been homeless, dealt drugs, were violent, the women were often hardcore too. But at some meetings, some of them would take a shine to me and greet me or be friendly. I could have made friends with them if I would have put out the effort. I got rides home sometimes from various members.
But AA, CA and NA have great diversity in meetings. The Big Book even says it, To paraphrase: âWe are people who would normally not meet or sit together, we are very different but we all have a common purpose, to help each other get clean and stay clean.â So yes, it was an odd assortment of people sometimes.
Wow, this is the longest Iâve gone, just to make a joke.
One night I was in this meeting and I was sitting in my chair waiting for the meeting to start. There happen to be three rather tough looking guys in the chairs in front of me talking among themselves. I couldnât help but overhear their conversation and they were talking about Texas. I forget what they were saying about it but I had a joke I learned years before. (Which Iâve actually used on here a few times).
So they were talking about Texas so I leaned forward and I smiled and I said to them, âHey, I heard they found a new use for sheep in Texas. Wool.â Itâs an old joke. I expected them to laugh or be friendly but they all turned around and gave me a real unfriendly, cold look.
They looked mad and I even thought for a split second they would get up and hit me. I stopped smiling and they looked at me like I was crazy and turned back and ignored me and started talking amongst themselves again. It seemed funny later but I knew I made a mistake at the time. I mean most people are nice in AA or CA but you still have to be careful and remember where they came from.