Sobriety Date: February 13, 1961
This is a story that was published in an earlier Intergrouper when Basia was Celebrating 50 years of Sobriety.
My name is Basia. I’m an Alcoholic. It took me a while to say these words. When I came into the program, (while we were stationed in Germany in 1961) I couldn’t even tell you my name. Today I can roll the word Alcoholic off my tongue. Back then I was the only woman with six men in our group. One meeting a week and I wondered how long I could stay sober!! Thank goodness, Joe my husband had nearly 2 years and I leaned on him for a long time.
My first Round-Up, (about 4 months into the program) took place in Wiesbaden where people had come from all around France, Germany, the north and south, Italy, Switzerland, Berlin, even Belgium. Many only spoke their native language. Just by watching the look on their faces and the intent they could grasp what we all were talking about. Six months into the program we came back to the United States wondering now what? At any rate our families saw a change. We moved every three years, first to northern most Maine with once again one meeting a week, traveling about 45 minutes to an hour for a meeting. From there we would travel from 12 noon into Tokyo for a meeting at 5 P.M.,arriving back home at midnight, (once again one meeting a week).
By the time we left Japan we were able to have 7 meetings a week and established sort of an answering system. The three years went pretty fast meeting many new people coming off the cruise ships and new AAs as well, many of them from the Japanese community. This time moving to Hampton, Virginia and a
more normal AA schedule, schools, colleges etc. became my way of carrying the message.
Retirement from the Air Force, for Joe had us moving to Orlando, Florida in 1969. Arriving here there were only 7-9 groups in the area. Today I can’t count how many groups and meetings we have in a week. So many new friends during these years and I want to thank each and everyone of you for being a part of my life in some way and I want to thank you all for my 50 years of sobriety. Continue to carry the message!!
Much love,
Basia H (The Home Group)
April 3, 1928- December 21, 2019