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A Meeting At The First Congregational Church

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I went to an AA meeting at the First Congregational Church in New London, Connecticut on Monday February 22, at 7 pm. It was located in a larger room in the basement of the church. There were around fifteen members that attended. The individual’s came from an array of different ages and ethnicities, both men and woman. There was no one race or ethnicity that dominated another in the meeting, it was a very warm, accepting atmosphere. I noticed right away that there was more young adults around the age of thirty than elderly members. There was also around the same number of males and females in attendance. The meeting began with the appointed leader asking if there were any new members in the group, and gave them a chance to introduce themselves. I also introduced myself at this time, and explained my role as a student. They then transitioned into reciting the serenity prayer and having a moment of silence, allowing them to give thanks to their higher power. The leader then had different individuals recite the week’s motivational phrase and reflect on the quote. The quote talked about forgiving yourself as an alcoholic, and the concept of letting go of the guilt that they have over hurting themselves and the people that they love when they were under the influence. This topic was very triggering for the members, and lead them into a very power discussion around the different people in their lives that were directly affected by their drinking. One woman spoke about losing the

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