Meeting 2: Pike Place Senior Centre, Pike Place Market in Seattle
Wednesdays 7:00 p.m
Theme: Resentments
After a long, long journey I needed a meeting. My fear of flying has become much more manageable since I quit drinking, but nonetheless, I still don't find it a very pleasant experience.
The journey was punctuated by a very pleasant morning strolling round the old Royal Palace in Seoul. Then a drowsy 9-hour flight across the Pacific. I must fit the profile of a drug smuggler, as 9 times out of 10 I get stopped at customs. Even though I didn't have much time before my onward flight to Seattle from San Francisco, I kept cheerful as the customs guy pulled me over and asked me to open my bag. We both laughed as he found my stash of nicotine chewing gum, nicotine patches, and the two cartons of red Marlboro. Spot the addict!
Because of the delay, the chances of my bag and me arriving on the same plane were slim, and so it turned out. A quick mental recitation of the serenity prayer did the trick, and again I stayed cheerful as the nice lady at the baggage delay counter arranged to have it sent on to my hotel as soon as the bag arrived.
Everyone says public transport in the US is terrible, but the airport shuttle and the Westlake monorail conveyed me effortlessly to my hotel two blocks from the Space Needle. Amazingly, I also kept my cool when the girl at reception told me that the hotel was 100% no smoking. I restrained myself from giving everyone a lecture on the infringement of the civil rights of smokers, and joined the other nicotine addicts out in the car park.
One of the issues I'm trying to adress these days is my fatal tendency to lose my temper and mount up on my high horse. I was tested three times on the journey and did good each time. However, I suspect extreme knackeredness and spacy sleeplessness played a major part in my surprising serenity.
Pike Place Market was a pleasant stroll from the hotel. The first thing that hit me was how bloody cold it was. I was dressed for Hanoi summer. Seattle was still in early spring and the low 60s F. A quick visit to a discount clothes store was the first priority, and I've needed my 17$ sweat shirt throughout my time in the north west.
Walking down to the meeting took me past a lot of bars. In the old days a bar would be the first place I'd head to. Having that first meeting to go to in a strange city is a good insurance policy. I also used to pride myself on my ability to score some dope within 24 hours of hitting a new city. Glad not to be drunk or stoned as I took my first walk of the trip.
I later heard that the streets around Pike Place are Whisky Row for the locals. I got panhandled by a shaky guy and a strung out woman as I approached the meeting house. I bottled out of suggesting to them they come with me to the meeting, but I think they both needed it.
The meeting was a microcosm of US society; there were a couple of Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and some fairly rough looking white (Euro??) Americans too. Like all meetings there was a lot of good sharing and a lot of courage. Quite a few of the members had been homeless. That can't be easy in the harsh wet climate of the Pacific North West. One guy shared about how hard it was to keep down a job on top of keeping up with his community college courses. Lives were being slowly rebuilt.
The topic was resentments, but the message I took away was 'no matter how far down the scale we have gone', AA helps us to rebuild our shattered lives and bodies. I was the last to share, and after some quite heavy stuff that preceded, everyone could have a good laugh at my British accent and my airline adventures drunk and sober.
Good luck to everyone at the Pike Place meeting. And thanks for being there for this very tired but very excited and happpy traveller. Getting the trip off to the right start was important for me, and the Pike Place members helped me do that.
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