On it Pays to Diversify

I was in a meeting last night and had a newcomer approach me afterward, saying he thought he was in the wrong meeting. Well, he was. Wrong addiction.

He was - as most newcomers - disoriented, and scared, and unsure of himself. He stumbled out the words about how to find the right place for him.

This meeting happened to be at a large rehab facility that has a lot of meetings.

Fortunately, I get around to a wide variety of meetings of different ilks, and attempt to connect with folks in each meeting. So I know a lot of folks.

I told the new guy that I'd fix him up, and walked him over to the correct meeting, telling him that I knew a bunch of homies in there and I'd introduce him around. Both meetings had just ended, so there were lots of people milling about, talking.

It felt good, to take him over to the other meeting, and look into the crowd, and hand pick some winners that are my homies, and drop him off in good hands.

After I made the hand-off, I made the rounds, hugging my homies and some women I know, too, in that meeting. I give a lot of hugs in meetings.

As I wandered out a short while later, I saw Mr. Newcomer in the parking lot. He walked over to a late-model full-sized Mercedes sedan and got in. I was talking to some others in the parking lot, walking, but I have good peripheral vision.

Mr. Newcomer sat and sat in his car, apparently soaking in his experiences.

I felt good, that I was able to get him human-to-human contact, to introduce him to some quality folks. Just that little bridge, that little touch of acknowledgement that he was noticed in a huge room full of strangers, could be the difference between his returning, or not.

At any rate, I was willing, to do what little I could.

I hope he found something to come back to.

-The Traveler