Not Down for the Count –
April 2, 2020 – “And that was that,” St. John said. “I was gone from there.” When she regained consciousness, she was in the driver’s seat of her car, parked in the garage of her condominium complex in Marina del Rey. The episode frightened her. She has abstained from drinking in the week or so since. “But,” she said, “it’s difficult.” The problem she encountered when she relapsed remains a major source of anxiety. A county order has prohibited public gatherings and AA isn’t exempt. The ban frustrates St. John, who typically attended six meetings a week and has found online alternatives to be too impersonal. “They say food’s essential,” St. John said. “Well, so are my meetings. She vented on Twitter, wondering how Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti could allow restaurants and bars to deliver alcohol but not permit AA groups to meet. She now has an idea she thinks would satisfy both her and the mayor, taking inspiration from how some supermarkets have placed strips of tape on the floor six feet apart to help customers maintain a safe distance from one another. “Why couldn’t they do that in an AA meeting?” she asked. Many recovery groups have moved online and have encouraged their members to attend meetings via the internet. Uplifting words from another group member can do wonders for someone thinking of quitting a recovery program.
