Unity at a San Gabriel Church

Essay by walterg89B+, November 2014

download word file, 6 pages 0.0

5

Grandez

MLA

Walter Grandez

Unity at a San Gabriel Church

Jacqueline P. Wisemen describes an alcoholic or potential alcoholics being made when their world becomes smaller and smaller with increasingly higher and higher fences. Following a pre-designed pattern, their view of themselves and their world diminishes resulting the shelter and comfort of alcohol (46-47). Never the less, these alcoholics life isn't all over. With the formation of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935, it became an important milestone in addiction treatment. The original founders of AA were strongly influenced by the Oxford Group, a Christian religious movement that involved reflecting on your own shortcomings, admitting to another, and helping others as a way of improving yourself (Hart & Ksir 218-219).

On Thursday November 13th, I attended a local participation group of AA that was held at the Unity Church in San Gabriel, California. The meeting started around 8:00 pm and went on until each member of the group was given the opportunity to speak.

There were a total of twelve people present at the meeting, including my girlfriend and myself. The group primarily consisted of males but with the exception of one female aside from my girlfriend. The age group in the participation consisted mostly of middle age people from 30's to 50's.

Before attending Unity Church's AA meeting, I was very uneasy about going because of many reasons. One reason being that I did not know what to expect. I was uncertain of who would be there and if I would know anyone. Another reason of uneasiness I felt was my intrusion. I felt that my attendance there would disturb the privacy of those who probably are at regular attendance. Once I arrived, I felt completely out of my comfort zone because of two reasons, the age group difference...